“Political institutions cease to have value when they do not reflect equality, mutual respect and parity of esteem, and have become detached from the lives of citizens they are meant to serve.”
The words of Declan Kearney, the National Chairman of Sinn Féin. There are few who would disagree with his words. The question is, have we arrived at that point?
It’d be difficult to say we haven’t. Equality, mutual respect, parity of esteem? Arlene Foster won the last election on the back of the need to keep Martin McGuinness out of office of First Minister. When she was standing in for the First Minister Peter Robinson in 2015, she made clear what she thought of Sinn Féin and the SDLP:
“If anybody knows me and indeed knows the Democratic Unionist Party they know that I’m not going to put at risk to the people of Northern Ireland the possibility that rogue Sinn Féin or renegade SDLP ministers are going to take decisions that will harm the community in Northern Ireland.”
I think you’d need a lot of contortionist logic to present that as equality, mutual respect or parity of esteem.It’s important to keep in mind that no one – apart, maybe, from Mike Nesbitt – is asking Arlene Foster to resign permanently. The call has been for the softest of options, stepping temporarily aside. But Arlene and the DUP are terrified that they might appear insufficiently tough-knuckled; any hint that they’re following Sinn Féin (or SDLP) advice would qualify as going soft in their view. If you tolerate being ordered about by rogues and renegades, will your electorate applaud you?
The truth is, this is about both public finances and party gain. All parties are aware that somewhere between £400million and £600million is at stake, so naturally they’re agitated. But they’re also agitated because they see the crisis/opportunity through party lenses.
Arlene will refuse to step aside for a few weeks, not because she thinks staying is the right thing to do, but because she fears it might damage her party.
Mike Nesbitt is calling for Arlene’s head. After all, she once was a UUP politician, and as long as she and the DUP are in the ascendant, the UUP is in the descendant. Mike sees an opportunity for the UUP to flex its muscles in a matter of public interest, and that’s what he’s doing.
The SDLP is keen to diminish Sinn Féin in any way it can. Patsy McGlone has declared:
“The SDLP have been clear, only a judge-led inquiry can get to the truth of this matter. Sinn Fein must return to this position immediately.” In other words, he wants the SDLP tail to be seen wagging the Sinn Féin dog. Like the UUP vis-à-vis the DUP, Patsy smells an opportunity.
Sinn Féin is aware that the main criticism among its electoral base is that it’s been too agreeable. The DUP denounce them as rogues/renegades, their Minister Paul Givan shows his contempt for things Irish by rescinding £50,000 worth of Gaeltacht scholarships, the DUP leadership ignores any suggestion made by nationalists. There are too many people in the Sinn Féin electorate who’ve had it up to here, who believe that mutual respect is one thing, political meekness and Kick-Me-Here signs something else entirely. Judging by the words of Martin McGuinness and Declan Kearney, that has to stop. Even if it risks the collapse of the institutions (which I don’t believe it will), the time ( or ‘tipping point’, as Declan Kearney calls it) has arrived to insist on mutual respect.
It was unionist contempt for the nationalist population and their impotence that allowed fifty years of misrule in this north-eastern state. If power-sharing is to continue, that contempt must be abandoned and replaced by real respect.
Otherwise Stormont is a waste of space. It’s always been an ugly, fascist-style building. If unionist politicians are intent on translating that unappealing exterior into the Assembly’s inner workings, it’s time the plug was pulled. Direct/Joint rule would be a relief in place of this.
I agree with all that you have written above Jude with the possible exception of your description of the Stormo(u)nt building as ‘fascist-style’. I would prefer the term ‘Ceaucescuesque’. Ath-bhlian faoi mhaise duit and may 2017 be free of the sadness you faced last year.
Go raibh maith agat, Brian – agus tú féin. Somebody told me once it was modelled on the Milan Central Railway Station, constructed by Mussolini, and when I saw it the similarities were obvious: big heavy stone, huge scale, in your face, don’t-mess-with-me. Stone talks….
Typical unionists eh!
They would have to use that fascist style stone on their big house.
What’s wrong with decent republican stone?
The swine!
The style of the Stormont building is known as Greek classical. Literally thousands of buildings are built in that style all over Europe and North America. The Austrian parliament and most of the Edinburghs New Town to name a few.
Btw I googled Milan central station I couldn’t see much of a resemblance other than they are both made of greyish stone.
Suppose we see what we want to see hey.
PS
Come to think about it the GPO in Dublin is the same style of building as stormont?
Suppose it doesn’t matter if it’s done in a “facist” style since it has been sanctified by the blood of our glorious martyrs.
GPO = Stormont? Please, Scott. Have you noticed the mile-long runway up to the Stormont front door?
where did the famous steps of the gpo go to.
Or maybe you had to be there, Scott…
It’s not the politics I’m talking about Jude it’s the architecture.
“Or maybe you had to be there, Scott”
Sounds a bit like Vietnam lol
I know, Scott, I know. But architecture has a way of speaking ‘sermons in stones’…And there is no doubt that Stormont is making a BIIIGG statement – like, we’re here to stay and we carry big stick. Or am I being too harsh? I’ve just watched a programme about Mussolini and sculpture and such – big heavy brutal figures, big heavy brutal Musso….Still ended up hanging from a lamp-post.
Is Miss Sai Gone yet?
Sinn Fein has been correct in trying – to the point of exhaustion -to maintain the power sharing institutions as a means whereby to build confidence among the Protestant/ Unionist population that in a new Ireland, they will be treated fairly, and with the utmost respect for their constitutional beliefs. There comes a time, however, when the party must look to how it’s own constituency is being treated in return by political unionism. What nationalists in general perceive is that the promises made by unionists and by the British government in solemn agreements, most notably, but not solely the international Good Friday Agreement, have been blatantly reneged on. The refusal of the DUP to agree to an Irish Language Act is a prime example of such breach, but is also indicative on a broader front of the total lack of respect for the ethos and values of Irish nationalism. There have been many other examples of this attitude of arrogance and contempt from the DUP both at Stormont and at local council level. Regrettably, I am of the view that the nationalist/republican electorate will look very unfavourably on the party if we allow what has become a political charade designed only to frustrate real progress and to placate the most right wing elements of political unionism to win out in the present standoff. I believe that in general Irish nationalists/ republicans are a fair, but a proud people. We are not prepared to allow ourselves to be treated as second class citizens. In the Good Friday Agreement we were promised parity of esteem with political unionism. Who can say that that promise has been delivered on? It may well be time to look at other means of progressing to a successful conclusion the struggle in which so many have died and others have suffered grievously.
Total agreement, Pat.
HI Mr Fahy
i was so taken by your comments on this blog that i copied and pasted it on my facebook page as i feel that it captures the mood within the nationalist /republican community
i hope you don’t mind it was a knee jerk reaction to a splendid comment
many thanks
philip kelly
Listening to BBC Uladh this morning it was attack SF time. I was half convinced it was them running the RHI racket
Silly comment, PJD. Declan Kearney in this past 24-48 hours hasn’t really helped SF’s credibility and positioning. His lack of clarity on the RHI scandal lead to a car crash interview. Out attacking everyone this morning, the DUP tactic when it isn’t going your way – Does Kearney know the difference between a Public Inquiry and an Independent Investigation? He didn’t seem to this morning – perhaps if he did, the scrutiny he received wouldn’t have been as forthcoming.
Declan Kearney seems to do this a lot.
He wrote a load of crap on Judes blog a while back, attributing the total sales between Ireland the UK to north south trade.
The time is soon approaching that the leadership of Sinn Fein was passed back to Dublin
Hilarity is the not the first H-word, Esteemed Blogmeister, that one normally associates with Noose at One, RTE’s flagship prog at Lynch Time.
Indeed, one has as much chance of encountering Hilarity there as one has of encountering of, say. Hillary in the Rose Garden of The White House, going forward.
And yet, if one is treated to an aural treat as hilarious as what the same prog provided yesterday for the rest of 2017, g.f., it will be a shock, bordering even on a surprise.
This occurred when Declan Kearney, Chairman/ Cathaoirleach of the shin-kickable Shinners was interrupted, oops, interviewed by some Known Unknown from the benches whose name The Perkin did not catch. He was obviously filling in for some A-list Broadcaster on hols.
(The Rule of Thumb in RTE is ‘The bigger the Take, the longer the Break’. It is a Rule of Thumb which does not apply to the Bum at the bottom rung of the Income ladder).
When the Nordie greeted the Southie with a Nua-bhliain gan Stró, Bro ! the yoghurt of the young Southern Yune was well and truly curried. So flustered was he indeed by this No-warning Lob of Leprechaun across the airwaves that he proceeded to probe the Shinner’s response to the, erm, ‘Ash for Cash’ thingy.
Eh?
And the more the Nordie referred to the RHI the more the Southie banged on about the ‘Ash for Cash’. And the more of a hash he made of the phrase the more the late rising listeners in Radioland choked on their, erm, hash browns at holiday time.
Leaving one listener at least (who shall remain gormless) to half expect the Super Sub in DUPer Dublin to burst into a cover versh of the ‘Nashville for Cash’ hit:
-Ring of Fire.
One thing is sure, if said interrogation had taken place on Yawning Ireland, RTE’s flegship prog at Kellog Time, the never less than edgy A-list Broadcster, The Woodman, wouldn’t have made such a verbal gaffe as ‘Ash for Cash’, least of all for a laugh. When it comes to words with Wood as a prefix – from Woodbine to Woodpeckers to Woodworm – The Woodman is never less than sure handed even as he mounts one of his legendary verbal whack-attacks:
-Whack ! Whack ! Whack !
Thankfully, the print edition of RTE did not make a hames of this crisis, Brother James. The final words of their report today (by Gerry Mor-i-ar-i-ty) was left in the shape of a last lip-smacking line to the shin-kicking Stoops. Lest we forget which Party Animals (aka the Sinn Fun Party) is supported by The Unionist Times (for it is it !):
-At the going down of the sun and (especially) in the morning.
To conclude: the Ash for Cash nappy rash caused at least one listener (the same, the gormless one – see above) to conflate the RHI with the RHA. The latter being, the Royal Hibernian Academy.
The name of Sean Keating comes to mind. He was the marvelous Irish artist who was a starlwart of the RHA for most of his prolific artistic life and his paintings were on show for 61 consecutive years at the Annual Exhibition of the RHA.
A believer in the primacy of craft-based art, he was homerically contemptuous of modernism and other forms of faux-artistic malarkey. In a phrase, he was pro-Hieronymus Bosch and anti-bosh.
During his long and productive career his artistic garden of earthly delights ranged from evocative, realistic portraits of Aran Islanders in situ and single-minded, double-barrelled IRA ambushers biding their time to allegorical paintings of the Civil War to the construction of the Ardnacrusha Hydro Electrical Scheme on the Shannon .
A measure of his dogged independence of mind was the way in which he kept the Royal part of the RHA securely in its R-box.
There is a legendary clip of him being taken on a tour of a modernist ROSC Exhibitiion. And as he peers at an example of the Higher Hokum hanging from the Gallery Wall he is heard to snort:
-That is the product of a diseased mind.
The painterly point of this analogy: Sean Keating currently occupies approximately the same position of artistic pariah in the Free Southern Stateen, as, say, Declan Kearney of SF does in political circles.
As republicans have said countless times: The northern state is a failure, an utter failure. Political Unionism is maybe the main reason why its a failure because (and lets not beat about the bush, we all know its true) they hate Catholics. They will discriminate against Catholics at every opportunity they can get and they will demonize Catholics at every opportunity they can get. And it is about religion with them, I know it isn’t about religion when it comes to republicans but its important to study the motives of these people and most of these unionist politicians come from fundamentalist backgrounds. The very founder of the DUP was a firebrand and fundamentalist preacher. How can you possibly form a working government with these people? You cant. Its like going into government with the Taliban and expecting them to respect everyone’s values lol.
The Unionist Electorate wont change. I know there’s Unionists who want change and a better society for everyone but they’re a minority at best. How can you create a better society when a large minority of the population opposes equality, endorses “Us vs them’uns” politics and who regards anything Catholics get as a loss to them? We seen how files revealed the British Government in the 1980’s refused to grant investment to Catholic areas because it might upset Unionists. Its the same today, that mind set amongst the majority of Unionists is still the same. They wont change, there’s very little nationalists can do to make them change, the sectarianism and hatred just goes too deep and that’s the truth. I say “that’s the truth” because some nationalists are very naïve.
The only solution I can think of is Joint Rule. Paisley said in 2007 that he only went into Government with SF because “it was gonna be curtains for our country” if he didn’t. He even said “the Secretary of State, and even the South of Ireland!, said they (the Republic) were going to take us over”. The demographics show Unionists aren’t a majority anymore, so something better should be done than kicking the can down the road for another lot of years.
There’s no point nationalists blaming Sinn Fein. SF have tried reaching out and creating a better society for all and its been rejected. What SF should do is realize they’re wasting their time but I would maybe vote SF this time round. I didn’t vote for them before because of abortion but the Assembly Election isn’t about that.
PS: The British/Irish Governments should be doing more to confront the DUP’s behaviour instead of turning the blind eye. But as Kevin Meagher said “NI is at the bottom of the priority list when it comes to British Politics”….
“The only solution I can think of is Joint Rule. ”
You would rather be ruled by the tories and fine gael?
I would prefer the tories to Fine Gael.
“You would rather be ruled by the tories and fine gael?
I would prefer the tories to Fine Gael”
Yes Jessica, cant be much worse than a Government with the DUP in it. But your also forgetting that the Tories/FG wont always be in power. The Westminster/Dail Government often changes at election time. The electorate in Britain/the 26 counties doesn’t consist mainly of sectarian, tribal camps.
Or we could always just hold out for another couple of years until SF/SDLP has a political majority, which is obviously SF’s plan.
“Or we could always just hold out for another couple of years until SF/SDLP has a political majority, which is obviously SF’s plan.”
A political majority on both sides of the border don’t forget.
That is the crucial element and why the SDLP are irrelevant and incapable of delivering change. Unification would be electoral suicide for them and would be a temporary removal of the DUP if that.
The only way to get rid of the DUP for good is unification. Joint rule would not even do that.
The sectarian bigotry you refer to is not only within the DUP, it is within unionism period and this has to be broken.
In the past, Westminster/Dail Governments have capitulated to unionist threats and implemented sectarian policy.
Fine Gael don’t give a shit about the Irish citizens here and do not want the north which Michael Noonan says they cannot afford, though he can afford to be very generous to Apple.
I doubt very much there will ever be joint rule, more likely permanent direct rule?
Is joint rule even an option any more with Brexit Ryan?
We would be both in and out of the EU.
Would the EU even accept that?
Sinn Fein are making inroads towards transforming the whole of Ireland in a way I and I hope soon a majority over the whole of this island would be comfortable with.
Knee jerk reactions to bring down Stormont could lead to conflict once again and Ireland cannot afford any more conflict, either economically or socially.
The DUP and the majority of the unionist people would be happy to return to conflict in my opinion.
It is the only way to guarantee the union in their eyes and a price they would pay.
The DUP have never embraced reconciliation and the majority of unionists support that stance.
The SDLP want to be the main nationalist party once again, but they are not a nationalist party and do not want a united Ireland which as I said would be electoral suicide for them.
A public inquiry is stupid unless it is the only way to ensure there is sufficient power to an investigation.
The key thing along with the power needed to compel witnesses is that it is short and can rule in or out a criminal investigation within months.
The justice system here needs to be put to the test. We know the DUP are sectarian, if the justice system takes the same weak stance as the stormont speaker then that would be more reason to collapse stormont permanently than the SDLP party politicking over the opportunity Arlene has presented them with.
“We seen how files revealed the British Government in the 1980’s refused to grant investment to Catholic areas because it might upset Unionists. Its the same today, that mind set amongst the majority of Unionists is still the same”
What files are these?
” “We seen how files revealed the British Government in the 1980’s refused to grant investment to Catholic areas because it might upset Unionists. Its the same today, that mind set amongst the majority of Unionists is still the same”
What files are these? ”
Ever hear of Google?
“What files are these?”
MT, Jude did a blog on these revelations a number of weeks ago. I believe you even left a number of comments on that same blog.
As Wolfe Tone suggests, google is a very useful way of researching things, give it a try.
“MT, Jude did a blog on these revelations a number of weeks ago. I believe you even left a number of comments on that same blog.”
Yes, I recall a blog in which a civil servant made observations about west Belfast but I don’t recall mention of any file that revealed that the Government in the 1980’s refused to grant investment to Catholic areas.
What files are these?
Or are you making things up again?
Ryan? Hello?
Have I caught you telling porkies again?
There are no files revealing that the government refused to invest in Catholic areas, are there?
The DUP are playing a game of see how much I can brazen out the general public while humiliating Nationalists and see what you do about it!
I said in an earlier blog not to be surprised at how quickly the orange card would be played, well Paul Girvan has pulled it from the bottom of the deck.
The DUP have nothing to lose – heads I win, tails you lose!
Sinn Fein shy away from a public enquiry and Arlene remaining in post – Outcome – Sinn Fein emasculated and lose more support. Nationalist, Republican and moderate unionist voters lose faith in democracy and disengage in elections – DUP IMPROVE VOTE SHARE.
Sinn Fein pull out of Executive and collapse the institutions – Outcome – DUP appeal to their electorate that motive is sectarian over Gaeltacht bursary and play the Orange card to reinvigorate the more sectarianism base. DUP return to Executive with unaltered majority thus cementing their belief that they can continue to behave as they like.
If either case prevails there is no motive for Nationalists to remain at the oars in third class steerage to keep HMS Stormont ploughing a sectarian course!
Would you be really that upset to see Stormont go Pointis?
I wont, in fact I look forward to the day its doors are closed for good, and reopened as a museum again later.
Sometimes a struggle is won not by the person who punches the most, but the person who takes the most punches but lands the killer blow.
Sinn Fein are acting responsibly, the DUP are not.
That is good enough for me for now.
Jessica, I don’t disagree with you. I have always held out that the DUP should be given a chance but they have scorned everything that even smells of fairness and equality. They have trounced every olive branch that has been held out to them!
They are the laughing stock of the rest of the world except perhaps for Israel and white Evangelical areas in the USA. I no longer have any time for this dinosaur denying bunch of bigots!
Ryan is right!
Scott, when I referred to Stormont Parliament Buildings as Ceaucescuesque I think I was making a reasonable comparison. Both are built in allegedly neo-classical style with no expense spared , both have grandiose exteriors and lavishly sumptuous interiors. Stormont boasts (albeit silently) a chandelier donated by Carson’s old buddy, Kaiser Wilhelm the second, to his cousin George V, to be hung in Windsor Castle, ; it would appear to have been salvaged from Geordies skip when Germanobilia went out of fashion.It is somewhat disingenuous of Scott to cite in iStormont’s defence the Austrian Parliament building which was built to house the bi-cameral legislature of an Empire, or Edinburgh’s New Town, built as a showcase project for the wealthy élite of that prosperous city. Stormont was never going to be anything more than an inglorious and unglorified city council albeit one that purported to represent only 60 per cent of the populace living within its jurisdiction. Its workings and personnel could propably have been accommodated in a Masonic Hall or a couple of superannuated railwayay carriages. The scaled down but still gargantuan edifice was completed in the hungry thirties when at least half of the electorate had scarcely a pot to piss in. (Sadly or fortunately depending on whether you are called Scott or Jude, the original project,which was to have included three parliament buildings had been scaled back because of the prevailing economic and social climate.)A massive painting of King William at the head of his army was installed but had to be.removed after being defaced by a Scottish clergyman. The guid pastor was enraged because the painting depicted the Pope giving his blessing to Williams forces prior to the latters departure for his Irish campaign.As a finishing touch a statue was erected in the grounds to the still living Lord Carson giving what appears to be a two fingered gesture to the recalcitrant and disaffected minority. Interestingly during the war the building was plastered with a mixture of bitumen and cow shite to camouflage it from ravening German bombers. The mixture proved obdurate obnoxious and difficult to remove.(No smart remarks at the back of the class please!)I like to think the residual fumes from this heady mixture somehow permeated the brains of some of its public representatIves who regurgitated much of its essence in their speeches. Incidentally a Romanian member of parliament recently suggested that 70 per cent of Ceaucescu’s former palace (which now houses the Romanian Parliament) should be set aside for use as a shopping mall. Now there is an interesting proposal.
Brian, The use of the building or the actions of the people wasn’t my point.
My point was that Jude described it as a “ugly” and “facist style” building. Fair enough if the look isn’t to his liking, tastes a subjective thing I guess, but he also insinuated that the style that inspired the buildings was a fascist style which it clearly isn’t it’s Neo Classical more specifically probably Greek Classical. Absolutely nothing to do with fascism.
He went on to use the Milan central train station as an example. I personally didn’t see the similarity but one building I did see that had a lot in common looks wise with Stormont was the GPO in Dublin.
Scott, you may forgive Jude, or most of us on here, for not having the architectural expertise to comment on the construction of buildings.
I remember Prince Charlie some years ago commenting on the neo national gallery or some such, describing it as ‘a carbuncle on the face of an old friend’.
I didn’t feel qualified to criticise him either!
No need not feel qualified Sherdy taste in architecture is similar to taste in music it is subjective. If you like it you like it, if you don’t you don’t. There’s no wrong answer.
I remember a funny story about Prince Charles and his critical eye for architecture. On a visit to Belfast he was taken to the City Hospital. He made comments about the the main building (the big yellow block) saying it was the ugliest thing he had ever seen.
Apparently after this the Belfast taxi men started to refer to it as the Camilla.lol.
‘The ass-kicking of Sinn Fein has to stop’!
But why have SF allowed this ass-kicking to start, with the DUP rejection of the Long Kesh project, and continue unhindered until now, with people having to watch/endure the picture of the party they voted for being publicly humiliated time after time after time?
How different things might have been if they had collapsed the institution when the DUP welshed on the Long Kesh deal – they might have shown that they considered themselves equal to the DUP and would not accept being treated as second class citizens.
Will they make a stand for equality this time?
We don’t know, but one thing we can be sure of – if they acquiesce to their unionist bosses, they can kiss goodbye to fulsome support from the republican community, and maybe grudging support from nationalists!
I totally understand what you are saying sherdy, but I can stomach the abuse and intolerance from the DUP a lot better than I can accept being treated as second class Irish from Dublin.
Scott, I cannot answer for Jude but grandiosity and tinpot pomposity is certainly a feature of fascist architecture whatever model it choses as a template. As for the GPO in Dublin I have no strong feelings about its design. It was after all commissioned by the British in the early 19th century. Overall I think it is a positive addition to the main thoroughfare but nowhere near as striking as the Customs House or the Four Courts or indeed the old Parliament building, the Bank of Ireland. I loathe the Spire which stands for nothing.As I said MY quarrel with Stormont is its scale and pomposity but I would be the last one to say I am not prejudiced. Probably too strong to describe it as Fascist but certainly OTT. If it is any consolation to you I am a fan of Masonic Hall and Orange order architecture which, generally combine utility with grace. I hate the City Hall but love many buildings in Belfast. My favourite is probably the Presbyterian Church near the King’s Hall. De gustibus non est disputandum. I wish you and all contributors to this blog a happy and peaceful 1917.
Austere architecture seems to be your personal preference Brian, however here I suppose we differ. I feel grand buildings help lift a society and create a sense of pride in a community, if it didn’t then why would we spend billions on public realms regeneration.
Sorry to tell you I neither a member nor supporter of either the Orange Order nor the Masonic so I’m not to aware of there architecture. Most lodges I’ve seen are small country lodges more like church halls. Very unremarkable.
I’m in agreement with you about the spire in Dublin it is a sight. Much modern public art is not to my tastes. The balls on the falls is another one I’m not a fan of, although there is some fantastic Narnia inspired statues just unveiled in the CS Lewis square in East Belfast that are fantastic.
In the scale of things our assembly building at Stormont isn’t particularly grand really. US Congress, Westminister etc are much grander. However the award for the finest parliament building ever has to go to the Hungarian parliament in Budapest, which is quite simply stunning.
I’ve never got a chance to see either the Four courts or the custom house in Dublin but I will make a point to see them next time I’m down.
Very happy peaceful and prosperous new year to you also sir.
The Hungarian Parliament is really stunning, but the Budapest Opera House really has class and character – though the royal box doesn’t get much use nowadays!