I heard the DUP MP Gregory Campbell on Talkback today talking nonsense as usual-about the danger of even talking about a Border poll and Irish Unity. He felt it was much too dangerous to talk about this issue because, in this very divided society, it would provoke some people to violence. He did not specify who these people are who would turn to violence to oppose Irish unity. He preferred that we all accept that the power-sharing arrangement is as good as it gets for the foreseeable future.
So, as usual, the Democratic Unionists are using the threat of violence to dissuade people from even talking about Irish unity. Campbell does not show much regard for the democratic process or nationalist aspiration nor does he seem to realise that Nationalists are now in a majority in the 6 counties. He is opposed to a Border poll as provided for in the Good Friday Agreement. Of course, if Gregory and the DUP had their way there would not have been a Good Friday Agreement. Remember how the DUP treated David Trimble before Paisley’s conversion.
The discussion on Talkback was a response to a statement made by Seanadóir Conor Murphy that the greatest obstacle to Irish unity at present was Micheál Martin and his partitionist colleagues in Fianna Fail. They have been saying that there needs to be reconciliation before you can hold a Border poll for it to have any chance of success.
The journalist Aoife Moore, a native of Derry, was the protagonist on the panel in favour of holding a Border poll while at the same time doing whatever can be done to promote reconciliation. She favoured Irish unity because it offered the best chance for fairness and prosperity for the ordinary working class people of the island of Ireland. It was about ‘bread and butter’ issues. Her argument was reasonable and rational. I would have argued along similar lines as Aoife did.
Micheál Martin has been obstructing the much needed debate about the benefits of Irish unity for all the citizens on the island of Ireland for far too long. It amazes me that the former leader of Fine Gael, Leo Varadkar, is taking a much more sensible approach to this issue and is arguing at every opportunity in favour of holding a Border poll within five years to decide the constitutional future of Ireland.
Conor Murphy is right. Micheál Martin is now the great obstacle to Irish unity. The sooner they get rid of him as leader of FF the sooner we will be able to have a mature discussion about the future of Ireland according to the terms of the 1998 Belfast Agreement.
Remember though Leo did not favor a simple majority as outlined in GFA , but a certain percentage. , not sure whrn he had his Damascus moment
I wouldn’t worry too much about Gregory, he will soon be heading off to the PIP sanctuary for retired unionist MPs aka the House Of Lords. As for the “bread and butter” argument in favour of Irish unity, I was always under the impression it was just the right thing to do, as Britain had no legal or moral right to partition this country. How things have changed.
Well said Joe. I recall attending a public meeting in the Ballyphehane community centre Cork, around 1984-85 where hundreds attended to hear the censored voice of Sinn Fein’s president Gerry Adams speak. The people of Cork listened with great interest as to why there was a conflict and why there was an IRA. He also spoke about northern IRA Volunteers who previously came south to Cork to train would receive support and encouragement from the Tan War veteran and IRA leader Gen Tom Barry. Adams received much applause throughout his address. Also in attendance at that meeting was a young newly elected FF city councillor by the name of Micheál Martin, who sat in the hall listening and trying to come to terms with a hall full of people supporting and clapping this guy from up there. as soon as he got his hands on the mic, he began by pointing that SF didnt have a monopoly on republicanism, and continued with the whole FF partitionist view of the conflict. Needless to say, Adams wiped the floor with him. Today I remain convinced that M. Martin’s open and blind hatred of Sinn Fein and the very idea of Irish unity stemmed from that very public bruising he received in front of his home crowd in the Ballyphehane community centre that evening. He is also, more than any other individual either in government or in FF, responsible for ceding a (monopoly) ownership of republicanism to others. And YES Joe, He is the greatest obstacle to a border poll today.
Interesting Kieran. As the saying goes – Hell hath no fury that a little prick being given a redner.
Or something along those lines.