One outstanding achievement by the SDLP, often forgotten, is that they arranged for a representative of the Dublin government, almost always a TD, to be present at any major British announcement in the north. Often the Dublin TD would add their own thoughts immediately after the British Secretary of State had spoken. This was no mean achievement: the line that Ian Paisley and right-wing unionists had always taken was that the state to the south had no business poking its nose into the north’s affairs. Remember Paisley and his famous snowball attack on Sean Lemass when he visited Terence O’Neill? Ask your granny – she’ll remember. It was a significant shift, making clear that the Dublin government believed it was entitled to a say in events in the north.
And we’re still getting that. Since the election, Charlie Flanagan has been up and down like a diarrhoea-sufferer’s drawers. Charlie is an interesting politician. His father was Oliver J Flanagan, also a TD. Those who remember him claim that he used to ride around on a bicycle, with a sign declaring ‘Here Comes Oliver J Flanagan!’ on the front and another declaring ‘There Goes Oliver J Flanagan!’ on the back. In those days they didn’t have Facebook accounts. Charlie himself has a face like an Irish farmer, which isn’t necessarily at its best on TV, but if you listen to his voice it’s calm and confident and fluent. Charlie knows how to talk, and like his predecessors emphasises the continuing interest of the Dublin government in northern affairs. In fact, over the last month or two, I’m pretty sure both Fine Gael’s Enda Kenny and Micheal Martin have both used the words ‘United Ireland’, a vocalisation once inconceivable from the leaders of southern political parties.
Which makes it all the more baffling that Charlie – as was the case with his predecessors – has the title ‘Minister for Foreign Affairs.’ Of course it’s only a title. But what confidence can nationalists have in a Dublin politician who, as his title makes clear, considers the north a foreign country? (No, Virginia, the question is rhetorical.)
Agree entirely. It’s an absolute disgrace that the 26 county statelet should send a “Minister for Foreign Affairs” into the northern 6 county statelet. The biggest partitionists in this country are the free state establishment and their followers.
As a “by the way” and getting slightly off the subject. While I wholeheartedly am delighted with the recent election results, I am very unhappy with what is coming across as Sinn Fein triumphalism. No other description for it! They should at this stage, try to be a little bit more magnanimous in their victory and let Unionists see that they have the interests of everyone at heart. They need to constantly keep in mind that there are not only Republicans and Nationalists in these six counties. Sinn Fein, please take note.
Agreed Wes Taylor
If you apply for a passport in the Free State is it not the Ministry of Foreign affairs that you apply to?
Do they have a Home office in the south?
In fairness in negotiations that will involve talks with the UK government, the Irish foreign affairs minister is essentially just a name for the Dublin governments top diplomat. Hence he is a logical person to send.
Not sure if it’s worth getting to worked up about.
yea, they prob thought there would be a whole rigmarole with presidents and primeministers flying in.your right its hardly worth getting worked up about some spat going on in whats really a glorified county council.
TAKE IT DOWN FROM THE PAST
The past is a foreign country, said L.P.
Hartley: there, they do things diff’rntly
He wrote The Go-Between
Between Orange and Green
Not: to New Ireland* send this Charlie.
‘New Ireland is an island is very near the island of New Britain in the South Pacific which is very far from Old Ireland, though not nearly far enough where this improper Charlie is concerned.
Not only is it a disgrace they send their Minister if Foreign Affairs but both Flanagan and his entire Fine Farl party is a disgrace when it comes to the National Question. In fact I would venture to say he is a disgrace when it comes to virtually any overseas issue. Flanagan is also a member of Irish Friends of Israel, nor a big surprise!!
“Up and down like a diarrhoea-sufferer’s drawers”. You’re a bard Jude. lol.
Wait! What? Jude, you’ve lost the run of it on this one. Of course you want the Minister of Foreign Affairs pressing Dublin’s concerns. Who else? Frances Fitz?!! Katherine Zappone?!!! Simon Harris? Flanagan is Ireland’s emissary to the world and as such holds considerable clout by virtue of his position – plus he’s quite invested in the North. Flanagan’s heavy involvement is a signal that the North is just as important to Dublin as the US, or the EU countries. Time for a reality check.
” the North is just as important to Dublin as the US, or the EU countries”. That’s nice to know. Especially since some of us thing that the North should be of considerably more importance and is a part of Ireland, not a Foreign Affair.
“Remember Paisley and his famous snowball attack on Sean Lemass when he visited Terence O’Neill? Ask your granny – she’ll remember. It was a significant shift, making clear that the Dublin government believed it was entitled to a say in events in the north.”
Entirely wrong. The Lemass visit was quite the opposite of asserting that the Southern government was entitled to a say in events in the north. It was part of a détente between North and South by which the Southern government was beginning to move in the opposite direction, ie of recognising that there were two jurisdictions in Ireland each with their own legitimate governments.
Fair enough, Jude. But what’s your answer to my question – who would you rather have as Dublin’s emissary to the Stormont government?