I like Malachi O’Doherty. Over the years he has done me a favour or two, and it’s hard to be totally negative towards someone who helps you. I also like the terrier-like quality with which he approaches discussion/argument: at any moment, you feel, he may drop to the floor and bite you inthe ankle.
I do not like Malachi’s politics. Over the years he has maintained a consistently anti-republican position, and while I’m sure his writing and speaking talents have given him the busy career he’s enjoyed over the decades, the fact that his name shouted ” Catholic/nationalist background!” and that his boot was ever willing to sink into any available Shinner fitted neatly with the establishment media. The Shinner voice, meanwhile, was banned from the airwaves, even when they wanted to talk about mushrooms.
I do not like Malachi’s more recent title of ‘Dr Malachi O’Doherty’. I have always been under the impression that Malachi’s doctorate was an honorary one, bestowed on him by Queen’s University, and in my day it was considered a bit daft to use the honorary title (I have a vague memory of Roy Keane being given a Doctorate in Law, but that could have been the drugs). However Malachi has contacted me with the following: “Jude, Please delete the paragraph about my ‘honorary PhD’. Mine was a PhD by publications and independent research, was supervised in the school of English and subjected to a viva with external examiners.” I have of course accepted that his was NOT an honorary degree so he gets a ‘Not guilty’ verdict. I wasn’t aware that Ph Ds could now be issued for ‘publications and. independent research’, so I’ve asked Malachi to let me know what his publications and independent research were about. Of course if Malachi’s doctorate is a normal one, studied for and submitting thesis, I have got it wrong and unreservedly apologise. But I’ve asked Malachi to let me know more about the publications and independent research that allowed him to refer to himself as Dr O’Doherty…
Malachi’s name in recent days (and other days) has been linked with Ruth Dudley Edwards, who was inmy history class in UCD and wouldn’t, at the time, have said boo to a gosling, never mind a goose. For decades now, however, she’s lived in England from which she has delivered (how did you guess, Virginia?) anti-Shinner bile by the bucketful.
For decades, the establishment media felt free to say just about anything about any Shinner (Gay Byrne’s Late Late Show ambush of Gerry Adams springs to mind), knowing that the Shinner would not have the resources to take legal action in response.
In recent years, that has changed. When they consider themselves bad-mouthed or libelled, Sinn Féin have been resorting to legal channels to redress things. This has upset a considerable number of establishment media outlets, who say that the threat of legal action cramps their style. That’d be funny if only they weren’t in earnest. Why would anyone criticise someone for having recourse to the law, except they feared they’d be exposed as having broken the law?
This is more or less what happened recently with Malachi and Gerry Kelly of Sinn Féin. Gerry took a case against Malachi for (allegedly) saying that he’d shot a prison officer during the Great Escape fromLong Kesh. Gerry sued and lost.
Malachi not only had the satisfaction that his boot had successfully been put into another Shinner, but the judge put on his kicking boots and declared it was ‘scandalous’ for Gerry to have brought the case against Malachi. The judge also announced that Gerry had ‘lost his moral compass’ by exploding car bombs and the like back in the day. (He was in the IRA, your honour. That was what IRA activists did back then. When they weren’t in prison being force-fed over 200 days, as Gerry was.)
In 1988 Gerry Kelly was acquitted of having shot the prison warder in question, but apparently the most recent judge liked Malachi’s line rather better.
I’m not a legal expert – not even a legal dilettante – but it seems odd to me that someone (yes, Virginia, even a Shinner) cannot resort successfully to legal action when accused of a crime of which he had already been acquitted. It seems even odder to me that the media establishment are getting away with painting the Shinners as the bad guys when they resort to legal action. Isn’t that what laws are for – to be used, even by Shinners? (And no, sorry Virginia, I can’t help you as to why Malachi’s judge wrote 55 pages to go with his judgement. Maybe like Malachi he’s a wannabe writer.)
I find it difficult to believe that anyone could like Malachi O’Doherty but I suppose it takes all sorts. In his recent book he decided to fill a space by denegrating my younger brother who died in 1971 aged 20. He was a member of the IRA and therefore a soft target for O’Doherty, who painted a picture of a foul mouthed, beer swilling thug. This caused me and other family members a lot of distress and said depiction bore no resemblance to a much loved and valued, kind hearted and gentle brother who lost his life doing what he believed was right. O’Doherty had written , more kindly, about my brother a few years after his death and described meeting him in the Gaeltacht where they were both homesick and my brother was missing his mother who had died recently. This would have been about 1960/61and my brother was 10 years of age. I imagine O’Doherty has since learned that attacking people who believe in armed struggle reaches a wider, less discriminating audience and therefore pays better.
I do not have the honour of ever having received an honorary doctorate. My PhD was by publications and independent research and put before external examiners and a viva in the normal way. I’ll trust you to correct that but only because you like me.
Ha Haaa…I wasn’t aware doctorates were available for ‘publications and independent research’ – if that’s the case now, as distinct from dishing out an honorary degree, yes of course, I withdraw my honorary assertion and apologise. Btw, Malachi, what publications and what independent research did you engage in?
Malachi = as I’ve said I’more than happy to withdraw my claim that you received an honorary degree if you haven’t. In my time in the groves of academe, you either selected a topic on a given area and produced considerable research on that area over a period of part-time or full-time study. I know you had a post as writer-in-residence in Queen’s – was the writing you refer to the product of that? Or your books written before/after your time working for Queen’s? Again, if you can clcarify, I’m happy to remove the reference to you. Mindyou, I still think honorary doctorates are beyond absurd…
Malichi continues the same vile person as stated by yourself Jude. He is probably preparing himself for court again. Jude so you had better do what she says. Everything you said in relation to this individual. Was true. I am watching myself by saying l knew or know nothing about his award phd or whatever,
I had to turn the tv off a lot today as his dial was present there all day. Spouting. Long runs the fox
Malachi – it’s a simple matter. I thought your degree was honorary, you tell me it’s not. If you can explain what study it involved, I’d be more than happy to withdraw with apologies.
While waiting for Malachi to give me more info on his ‘publications and private study’ for his PhD, I’ve found this : …He (Malachi) was awarded a PhD in Creative Writing from Queen’s University in 2012. I thought he taught – and presumably was paid – for teaching Creative Writing at Queen’s. So I’m wondering was this a double whammy,as it were – he taught Creative Writing and they paid him and awarded him a PHD for doing the work he’d been hired for?
Why are you so determined to impugn my PhD? I have made nothing of it. I have simply corrected you saying that it was an honorary award. The average PhD, as I understand it, is about 80k words long. Mine is closer to half a million words since it included books of mine that had been published and which I had to justify being worthy of being taken into account. The accompanying 10k word reflective essay was supervised by Dr Eamon Hughes and examined by external examiners. QUB is fully qualified to award PhDs. To suggest it was some kind of reward for teaching is daft. Have you ever heard of someone getting a PhD without having to do any work for it?
Really Jude, you have been told that you have made a mistake and yet you persist in trying to validate it on some level. This is odd behaviour.
Ach Malachi – You’ve got the wrong end of the stick – read what I wrote. I was under the impression you’d received an honorary degree. You corrected me on this assumption so, since my experience had been solely, for many years, with traditional PhD study: an area was selected, a thesis written, examined and a verdict delivered. That or an honorary degree, like Dr Roy Keane, who got an honorary Doctor of Law. You’ve kindly explained that there is a third way – people look at what you’ve already published and you write a 10K word essay. I’d never heard of that type during my 30 years in UU, but clearly times are changed. Though it still sounds nearer to what I’d think of as an honorary degree – given for achievements over the years, rather than embarking on a new and major study. When I used to submit my annual report on research conducted, it was explained that my journalism and my fiction should not be included. So there y’are. I’m happy for you being able to prefix your name with ‘Dr.’ and I’ll withdraw with apologies my assumption that you were in receipt of an honorary degree, with apologies. Bain sult as – enjoy…
Well said Juide !!
I find it difficult to believe that anyone could like Malachi O’Doherty but I suppose it takes all sorts. In his recent book he decided to fill a space by denegrating my younger brother who died in 1971 aged 20. He was a member of the IRA and therefore a soft target for O’Doherty, who painted a picture of a foul mouthed, beer swilling thug. This caused me and other family members a lot of distress and said depiction bore no resemblance to a much loved and valued, kind hearted and gentle brother who lost his life doing what he believed was right. O’Doherty had written , more kindly, about my brother a few years after his death and described meeting him in the Gaeltacht where they were both homesick and my brother was missing his mother who had died recently. This would have been about 1960/61and my brother was 10 years of age. I imagine O’Doherty has since learned that attacking people who believe in armed struggle reaches a wider, less discriminating audience and therefore pays better.
Spot on
I do not have the honour of ever having received an honorary doctorate. My PhD was by publications and independent research and put before external examiners and a viva in the normal way. I’ll trust you to correct that but only because you like me.
Sounds like libel to me.
Ha Haaa…I wasn’t aware doctorates were available for ‘publications and independent research’ – if that’s the case now, as distinct from dishing out an honorary degree, yes of course, I withdraw my honorary assertion and apologise. Btw, Malachi, what publications and what independent research did you engage in?
Malachi was awarded his CBE….. Sorry, his PhD for his creative writing. Is he the mentor of RDE or vice versa?
Jude this isn’t good enough. You need to delete your scurrilous remarks about my PhD. I in no way accountable to you on this.
When did you graduate with PhD? I got mine in 2002. It took a long time….. 4 yrs or more! Hard work!
Malachi = as I’ve said I’more than happy to withdraw my claim that you received an honorary degree if you haven’t. In my time in the groves of academe, you either selected a topic on a given area and produced considerable research on that area over a period of part-time or full-time study. I know you had a post as writer-in-residence in Queen’s – was the writing you refer to the product of that? Or your books written before/after your time working for Queen’s? Again, if you can clcarify, I’m happy to remove the reference to you. Mindyou, I still think honorary doctorates are beyond absurd…
Malichi continues the same vile person as stated by yourself Jude. He is probably preparing himself for court again. Jude so you had better do what she says. Everything you said in relation to this individual. Was true. I am watching myself by saying l knew or know nothing about his award phd or whatever,
I had to turn the tv off a lot today as his dial was present there all day. Spouting. Long runs the fox
Margaret – I never called Malachi ‘vile’ and I suggest you shouldn’t otherwise.Abuse is a poor argument.
Very good jude free Palestine
Thank you, James. And ditto…
I’m amazed you think I am accountable here for my PhD. If you wish to contest its merit take it up with QUB who awarded it.
Malachi – it’s a simple matter. I thought your degree was honorary, you tell me it’s not. If you can explain what study it involved, I’d be more than happy to withdraw with apologies.
While waiting for Malachi to give me more info on his ‘publications and private study’ for his PhD, I’ve found this : …He (Malachi) was awarded a PhD in Creative Writing from Queen’s University in 2012. I thought he taught – and presumably was paid – for teaching Creative Writing at Queen’s. So I’m wondering was this a double whammy,as it were – he taught Creative Writing and they paid him and awarded him a PHD for doing the work he’d been hired for?
I can now see why he expressed gratitude, on the radio, to the british for his education and being where he is today.
History will remember Gerry Kelly, if only a little, that toadying runt will be remembered by nobody.
SV – abuse or name-calling is no substitute for argument…
Why are you so determined to impugn my PhD? I have made nothing of it. I have simply corrected you saying that it was an honorary award. The average PhD, as I understand it, is about 80k words long. Mine is closer to half a million words since it included books of mine that had been published and which I had to justify being worthy of being taken into account. The accompanying 10k word reflective essay was supervised by Dr Eamon Hughes and examined by external examiners. QUB is fully qualified to award PhDs. To suggest it was some kind of reward for teaching is daft. Have you ever heard of someone getting a PhD without having to do any work for it?
Really Jude, you have been told that you have made a mistake and yet you persist in trying to validate it on some level. This is odd behaviour.
Ach Malachi – You’ve got the wrong end of the stick – read what I wrote. I was under the impression you’d received an honorary degree. You corrected me on this assumption so, since my experience had been solely, for many years, with traditional PhD study: an area was selected, a thesis written, examined and a verdict delivered. That or an honorary degree, like Dr Roy Keane, who got an honorary Doctor of Law. You’ve kindly explained that there is a third way – people look at what you’ve already published and you write a 10K word essay. I’d never heard of that type during my 30 years in UU, but clearly times are changed. Though it still sounds nearer to what I’d think of as an honorary degree – given for achievements over the years, rather than embarking on a new and major study. When I used to submit my annual report on research conducted, it was explained that my journalism and my fiction should not be included. So there y’are. I’m happy for you being able to prefix your name with ‘Dr.’ and I’ll withdraw with apologies my assumption that you were in receipt of an honorary degree, with apologies. Bain sult as – enjoy…