Reports at the weekend suggest that one of the last armed dissident republican groups, Oglaigh na h-Eireann, are reconsidering their ‘strategy and tactics’ leading some to surmise that they will be calling a cessation to their activities. The other armed dissident group, the ‘new’ IRA, have as yet given no indication that they intend to follow the same route but the logic of the situation may catch up with them. But isn’t it ironic that just as armed republicanism is in decline the British, as they are wont to do, give succour to those who see armed resistance as the way forward. An anecdotal story will illustrate.
A friend was in conversation with her teenage son. They were talking about some sweets that she had recently purchased on a visit to Donegal (we used to refer to them as Free State sweets somehow they tasted different from ones purchased in the North). Anyway the teenager said he liked a particular type and she told him she would get him some ‘the next time she was over the border’. Her son looked at her and asked ‘what is the border?’
We have a generation growing up who have no concept of a divided Ireland. They may well know that the island is politically partitioned and indeed may even aspire to a united Ireland but the reality for them is that the border means little or nothing. They can go to Donegal, Dundalk or Dublin as they see fit. There is nothing physical to show them that they are leaving one part of the island and entering another except for the speed signs going from miles to kilometres.
Now the armed dissident groups have never really gained a lot of traction in the North and that is for a variety of reasons but among them is the fact that the border for a lot of people ceased to mean a terrible lot. It may have been worthwhile trying to get rid of it but it did not impinge on people’s lives enough in the last 30 years to make most people want to fight about it. Then along came Brexit and the British, or more specifically the English, in their wisdom decided that we should be dragged kicking and screaming out of Europe, a place we were very comfortable in. One of the physical manifestations of this will be some sort of border between North and South. Teresa May can try and dress it up all she likes but the reality is that Britain’s negotiating position is fairly weak, and why shouldn’t it be as she tries to dictate terms to 27 other countries? So we will have some sort of a border and once again the fact will permeate through the Irish body politic.
This is not to say that people are going to rush out and take up arms against the British when the Border post is established at Bridgend or Newry but when things start to go wrong, as they invariably will, thoughts will turn to the fact that there is a physical barrier between us and the South. The border will also serve as a daily reminder that there is a British presence here and then the danger becomes that the thought process goes along the lines of ‘if it wasn’t for that border things would be different here’. And we all know where that sort of thinking can lead us.
Great post Eamonn about a topic very close to my heart.
After this Brexit vote, I am very fearful these days of the potential for things to go backward and deteriorate badly, on all fronts – economically& socially.
Because I know first-hand about the detrimentally affect, any form of separation has on communities.
As a border resident, my local village (Glaslough), was cut off entirely from its natural hinterland of – Caledon, Tynan and Middletown for 30 years.
The road to Caledon, the bridge was blown up by the British Army, and it was the very last road to open again – Oct 2010.
The road to Tynan, was closed with massive concrete bollards at the border (one had to open field gate and drive thru it during the summer, winter times, the field was flooded).
The road to Middletown, the bridge at border was bombed for 30 years.
So if one wanted to get to Armagh, there was a 15 mile detour.
Now, during those 30 years, Glaslough was a ghost village. Cut off, nothing happening. The castle there was unknown about.
School children, people living fields about were cut off from each other, – 2 different systems. You had people living just miles from the border, not having been south at all.
There was a massive military checkpoint in Middletown.
Since the peace process and opening of Glaslough is booming, its vibrant and a really great place to live. Every weekend there are people visiting. The roads to the north are open. There is no border. People cross over and back to the north all the time.
No this Brexit thing could reverse all of the above.
Imagine if all of the above prosperity did revert back to the old days of checkpoints, roads closed?
your still not addressing the reason of what caused the need for closed borders.ie open borders.if criminal gangs were crossing back and forth into your village using a certain road,obviously you would put checks on that rd.thats what brexit is only on a grander scale.
you cant have it both ways,
Strangely however the first people to look for possible sites for customs posts were officials from on the 26 county side of teborder. Maybe the ‘free state’ is not as ideologically opposed to a hard border as their politicians make out.
Indeed Eamon, like Oriel above, a topic close to mine own heart, though specifically related to the substantial difference between Cadbury’s Saor Stat chocolate (vastly superior) and the fatty, imported muck we have here in occupied Ulster.
I have written before, there may well, there might even have to be, a hard control betwixt the six and twenty six counties, it should cause little to no issue for Iirish citizens, europeans and others will have to show travel documents but that’s of no concern to us.
For guidance, read the Ratio in http://www.bailii.org/ie/cases/IEHC/2011/H491.html#para18
I have had this out, several times, while taking the bus to work, GNIB, God bless them, have a wild dislike for smart asses, especially smart asses with professional legal qualification but, as I advised one once, ‘go back to barracks in Dun Deaglan and have the Inspector explain the ratio in Pachero & Anor. v. MJELR to ye’.
It is quite clear, as Irish citizens, we shall, must have, no hinderance to exercising our Constitutional rights in travel from one part of our country to another, once we had to go by Ward’s cross to get to Clones, or face 2+ hour delays at Middletown but, there should be no real need for this now.
I have before said, regardless of what elements within armed Republicanism might be saying now, undoubtedly on foot of direction from somewhere close to where I live, there will always be the Shane Uí Niall element here who shall reject constitutional means to reunite Ireland, they shall use any hard jurisdictional issue to make money from fuel (albeit this is done already) electrical goods, alcohol etc. and with this in hand, will purchase ordinance.
An Taoiseach was of course wholly wrong when, recently, he blamed the previous ‘hard border’ for the last outbreak of war here (he of course forgot to mention discrimination against Catholics and Protestants by their uppity masters in Dun Donaill as well as mass murder by their state paramilitary forces of Catholics) but, the economic benefit was fantastic for persons willing to risk ‘smuggling’ and it will resume soon.
So long as we can ‘smuggle’ Free State cadbury’s chocolate, I could not really care less but Mick Noonan is likely to impose a tariff on it.
thanks Mark, that court case you posted, i hope it wont come to that, having to take passports with me, going to work.
i couldnt imaging stopping at middletown (like the old days), and opening my boot every time. Hughes shop would take a hammering.
any re-introduction of a hard border will obvious lead to smuggling. And i really dont see a problem in that all – do they really expect people to be compliant with something they dont want?
Clones on a Sunday, afternoon evening and night was once the place to be. People from the towns villages and town lands of Fermanagh thronged the public houses and hotels of this border town. Fermanagh Street and the Diamond would be alive with with young and not so young patrons calling out greetings to each other as they passed from one establishment to another. And sometimes later on the Guards would appear to let everyone know it was time to go home and sometimes the denizens of Army Checkpoint on the road home would harass people with Republican sympathies. But mostly we go home without serious incident and went back a week later. And occasionally there would be a Fleadh Cheoil when thousands would invade the town and there would be non-stop music and drinking all weekend. It was generally agreed that nowhere else could match Clones when it came to the holding of a ‘Fla’
A few years ago I stood outside Treanor’s Bar halfway up Fermanagh Street puffing a cigarette viewing a silent and desolate scene and reflecting on the great social centre that once was and days that were gone and would never return.
So what brought about the demise of that great social occasion ..?? Hard border soft border no border ..?? Actually it was the The Sunday opening of pubs in Northern Ireland ..!!
you standing outside smoking…thats what destroyed the pubs the smoking ban…more orders from germany.