Unionism goes rudderless? by Michael Lagan

There is much being made about the lack of understanding and mutual respect between the two warring factions in the North of Ireland by the political and establishment elites in the South.  At almost every turn, the humanity is taken out of the experiences of Northern Irish citizens by an Taoiseach and others when they speak about us in the North.  More often than not the Irish citizens of the North are brushed aside to facilitate and placate their Unionist British neighbours, to foster a warmer relationship with Dublin and the South, rather than those Irish who live right on their own doorstep in the North. 

With respect, the political class and the ‘upper class’ in the South look in from the outside at the North as if we are the deformed family member to be kept out of sight, out of mind.  Most take a ‘holier than thou’ attitude which is unwarranted and frankly undeserved.

For instance, Sinn Féin holds the biggest Irish Nationalist vote in the North and one can realistically call their voting base ‘Irish citizens’ as they see themselves as such.  Yet most, if not all Taoisigh have treated Sinn Féin with contempt and distain while pandering to political Unionism at every turn…while telling us we must show respect for each other.  

The Northern Irish were abandoned by their Southern brothers and sisters.  At the time of partition the British government, ironically, never intended for partition to last.  It was seen as a temporary stop-gap to take the Irish issue out of British politics and to do the same for Irish politics for a time, with the intention that the island of Ireland would naturally reunite in the future.  British statements and minutes confirm this. The problem though, was a minority of Irish citizens cut off in the North but also a minority of British citizens cut off in the South.

The difference? Northern Ireland turned into a sectarian statelet bordering on apartheid for Irish citizens in the North. For Irish citizens in the North life was a mixture of constant attacks, constant derision, instant and constant sectarianism. And now  Micheal Martin demands Sinn Féin apologise for the IRA?

The Irish government did absolutely nothing for us throughout history until the Battle of the Bogside happened in 1969 when Jack Lynch took a semblance of action.  Three days of running battles when the B’ Specials and RUC showed themselves for what they were…a sectarian police force, supported by Westminster and in turn Stormont.  The British army came onto the streets and calm fell on Derry, soldiers were handed cups of tea, sandwiches and thanks, not by the Unionist government or the Loyalist people, but by Irish Catholics and Irish citizens. 

It then became clear the Unionist Stormont government was unhappy at the thought of the British army bringing peace to the streets of Derry and in turn, as history has shown, the streets of the North of Ireland in general. The Stormont government urged Westminster to have the British army take a stronger line with those pesky taigs.  Long story short, it wasn’t the IRA who started the Troubles in Ireland..it was in fact the British government via the British army and Unionist-led Stormont.

Behind the scenes, and away from the media, Irish Catholics couldn’t get jobs and if they did have a job they were regularly removed from employment to give a Protestant a job. Irish Catholics couldn’t get houses. Catholic families of 4 or 5 were routinely thrown out of 3-bedroom houses so Protestant couples with no children would get a home. If the Irish Catholic family refused to leave they were burned out of their home and the repair crews came in the next day to get the house ready for the Protestant couple. Pure and utter sectarianism which, as we all know now, led to the Civil Rights marches.  In 1972 the world recoiled in horror when civil rights marches were beaten down and murder ensued on the streets of Derry at the hands of the British Parachute Regiment.  The same Parachute Regiment and the same Para unit which slaughtered innocent Irish citizens in Ballymurphy one year prior in 1971.

Given all that and not surprisingly, Unionism is afraid that they’ll be treated in the same way as we Irish citizens were treated.  They’re scared that they’ll be treated like the scum of the earth by the people who they treated like the scum of the earth. They have no need to fear that.  Most, if not all talks coming out of Nationalism and indeed the pro-unity sectors see Unionist culture and the complexity of that as central to making any new Ireland work.  The main point in all of this is that Nationalism has, for some time now, attempted to spark dialogue with Unionism and Loyalism out of what can only be seen as respect for our neighbours on this island of `ireland. Their place in a new Ireland, where their rights and culture would be protected must be imagined.  The main stalling point is that Unionism refuses to countenance so much as a whisper about any of this.  

Gareth Robinson of the DUP and former First Minster Peter Robinson of the DUP (not related) have started challenging Northern Unionists to start preparing for a border poll.  They clearly don’t think a border poll would be divisive and they have both admitted a border poll is inevitable.  What has been said behind the scenes to these men coming out against party policy to speak out like this is up for discussion, but one must realise that this is the start of a dialogue within Unionism, this isn’t just two men from the same hard-line Unionist party doing a parallel solo run.  Personally, I see this as the DUP forcing Unionism to start thinking about this, with two East Belfast Unionists starting the discussion within Unionism.

Now more than ever we need dialogue on what a new, refreshed united Ireland will look like and Unionists must take part in that discussion, they must find their place in a new Ireland which will ensure their rights and culture are protected.  It is our responsibility to have those discussions with them, make no mistake about that.  Whether they take part in those discussion remains Unionism’s responsibility.  If they continue to refuse to take the leadership role they will inevitably be guilty of doing what they have been seen to have done throughout the history of the North…leave their own people behind with no rudder to direct their base in the right direction.