  Letters to the Editor, Irish Times
19 August 2016
Your Culture Editor, Hugh Linehand, in telling the story of the Marino Casino mistakenly describes Michael Collins, Richard Mulcahy, J J “Ginger” O’Connell and Oscar Traynor s “rebel leaders”in 1921.
Collins and Mulcahy were both Sinn Fein members of Dail Eireann, with a popular mandate to rule all Ireland proportionately greater than any mandate given to any party to rule the 26 Counties in later times. Their party had won 73 of Ireland’s 105 Parliamentary seats, 25 of them unopposed in 1918 and would have secured over 60% of the popular vote had those 25 seats been contested.
Collins was Ireland’s Finance Minister and a key Army Officer, whilst Mulcahy was the Army’s Chief of Staff, whilst O’Connell and Traynor were senior officers in the Army. The Army was responsible to the democratically established Dail Eirean and its Minister for Defence. Defence of the Irish Nation, its Republican State and institutions was the IRA’s function.
The claims of all other nations and institutions to legitimacy in Ireland had been repeatedly rejected in municipal, county council and other local elections in 1920.
Sadly, THE IRISH TIMES cannot admit that it was on the wrong side of history in 1918, 1920 and 1921. It and its Culture Editor should get over the fact. Or must they still live in a time warp?
Donal Kennedy
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They have been on the wrong side of history for their entire history! I like to call them the Unionist Times, nothing Itish about the publication!
“Collins and Mulcahy were both Sinn Fein members of Dail Eireann, with a popular mandate to rule all Ireland proportionately greater than any mandate given to any party to rule the 26 Counties in later times.”
They didn’t have a mandate to “rule” in the north, where the people had comprehensively rejected an all-Ireland independent state.
“They didn’t have a mandate to “rule” in the north, where the people had comprehensively rejected an all-Ireland independent state.”
Yes they did, there was no separate referendum or vote for partition and the last all Ireland results by the rules od democracy partition should not have happened. And England did not want to either, it was following threat and intimidation from unionism that they backed down.
“Yes they did, there was no separate referendum or vote for partition and the last all Ireland results by the rules od democracy partition should not have happened. And England did not want to either, it was following threat and intimidation from unionism that they backed down.”
None of that matters. But if it did, then there was no mandate for an independent Ireland either, since there was no separate referendum on it, no vote to partition the UK and “England” didn’t want it. It was following a threat and violence from nationalism that they backed down.
In the NORTH Unionists got a minority of seats in ,Cavan,Donegal,lFermanagh,Monaghan and Tyrone in 1918. Unionists won a grand slam only in Antrim (excluding Belfast).
In the municipal elections in 1920 Sinn Fein won Derry City.
Parliamentary elections didn’t bother Unionits before the ending of the Lords Veto. They didn’t
contest most constituencies in Ireland on occasion and the Nationalists took most seats uncontested. Thus on two occasions the Unionists got a majority of VOTES CAST.
In 1912 Churchill correctly declared that Carson was leader of HALF ULSTER when he had claimed leadership of all Ulster. You are not an honest commentator MT. You are full of corner boy trickery and quite tiresome.
“In the NORTH Unionists got a minority of seats in ,Cavan,Donegal,lFermanagh,Monaghan and Tyrone in 1918. Unionists won a grand slam only in Antrim (excluding Belfast).”
And?
“In the municipal elections in 1920 Sinn Fein won Derry City.”
And? Has anyone said otherwise?
“Parliamentary elections didn’t bother Unionits before the ending of the Lords Veto. They didn’t contest most constituencies in Ireland on occasion and the Nationalists took most seats uncontested. Thus on two occasions the Unionists got a majority of VOTES CAST.”
And? What point are you trying to make?
“In 1912 Churchill correctly declared that Carson was leader of HALF ULSTER when he had claimed leadership of all Ulster.”
By the same logic Redmond was only leader of THREE QUARTERS IRELAND when he had claimed leadership of all Ireland.” What is your point?
“You are not an honest commentator MT.”
Yes I am. If there is anything that I have said that is dishonest, feel free to challenge it.
“You are full of corner boy trickery and quite tiresome.”
I’m not. But at least I can stand over my own posts and don’t need to resort to personal abuse.
Your “North” MT is a North East Corner of Ireland, four counties out of 32 of the country and
four out of the 9 Counties or Ulster.
Unionist candidates repeatedly defeated by IRA prisoners in elections masqueraded as
representatives of republican constituencies.
The 1920 Act partitioning Ireland was not supported by any MP from an Ulster or an Irish Constituency.
British statesmanship in 1919 created Czechoslovakia, Jugoslavia, and other failed states.
And the statelet of “Northern Ireland” was another .
You don’t stand anywhere but skulk behind anonymity.
“Your “North” MT is a North East Corner of Ireland, four counties out of 32 of the country and
four out of the 9 Counties or Ulster.”
It was a bit less defined that, but what point are you making?
“Unionist candidates repeatedly defeated by IRA prisoners in elections masqueraded as
representatives of republican constituencies.”
Eh? No they didn’t.
“The 1920 Act partitioning Ireland was not supported by any MP from an Ulster or an Irish Constituency.”
And?
“British statesmanship in 1919 created Czechoslovakia, Jugoslavia, and other failed states.
And the statelet of “Northern Ireland” was another ”
Odd, then, that NI is still going strong.
Donal
I see no mention of “rebel leaders” in the article.
Put your specs on Giordano.
As for you, MT check on the General Election of 1955.
Donal
Oh I see it now! My apologies.
1955 was one occasion. You said repeatedly.
And why didn’t you answer the rest of the questions?