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Is anyone really interested in Sinn Fein’s call for Irish unity?
Tuesday, 24 February 2009
The realists in the propaganda game always argue that there is no such thing as bad publicity.
They mean that there is no news story so bad that a resourceful operator cannot turn it to advantage. There are many sceptics; but political parties are not among them. Their faith in media coverage is what keeps them going. They know that, to be ignored, means death. I do not feel Sinn Fein is dying. But the indifference of key Sunday newspapers to their annual conference in the Royal Dublin Society last weekend will be giving them cause for thought. Unless my eyes deceive me, The Sunday Independent, the Irish market leader, ignored the occasion entirely.
The Sunday Times Irish edition managed a brevity, two short sentences, the copy measuring four centimetres by three, at the bottom left-hand corner of an inside page; although Liam Clarke had a prominent article — critical — on the op-ed page. But elsewhere, of agenda, speeches, debates, attendance, votes ... nothing.
To some observers this is no surprise. Sinn Fein, south of the border, fell on hard times in the 2007 general election, following a lack-lustre campaign. Gerry Adams came off worst in an RTE debate with Labour's Pat Rabbitte and Michael McDowell of the Progressive Democrats which attracted 560,000 viewers.
He appeared ill-briefed on the economic debate in the Republic. The party was on record as calling for a stiff increase in the Republic's prized low corporation tax, which has proven a powerful magnet to outside investment. Late in the campaign it got cold feet and it switched to a policy of no change. The party expected to pick up seats, introducing a new, younger generation of activists to the Dail. It ended by losing one — in Dublin South West; and failing to have Mary Lou McDonald, a much-promoted Dublin MEP, elected in Dublin Central. The party has been reduced to a mere four seats in the Dail and a recent poll put it on only 9% support, behind Fine Gael, first with 32, Labour (24) and the governing Fianna Fail (22).
As the Fianna Fail figure shows, times are dire south of the border. (‘Country's Fight for Survival’ was a recent Irish Times headline.) They are set to get a great deal worse when the gravity of the banking crisis is fully revealed. In such circumstances a party of protest like Sinn Fein would expect to pick up votes. It has not. Why? One theory is that Sinn Fein's Northern Ireland bias — which boosted its poll ratings at the time of the devolution deal with the DUP —is now a liability; that it is seen as a ‘northern’ party with little core relevance in the Republic. The Northern Bank heist in Belfast at Christmas 2004 (which Bertie Ahern attributed flatly to the IRA) and the Belfast murder of Robert McCartney caused further unease south of the border. The spread of open gang warfare among rival drug dealers in Dublin and Limerick has increased civil distaste for the gun in the Republic —which does not help a party with Sinn Fein's recent history.
In the face of this, and in hard times, one would expect a party cultivating a radical image to mount a considered programme of social and economic reform. Instead, Gerry Adams preaches about the evils of partition and the party's intention to launch a new drive for Irish unity. Conferences in Britain and America are to ‘marshal’ the political strength of the Irish abroad.
But this is talk from 1948 when I used to listen to old lags like William Norton TD and Sean MacBride TD holding forth at anti-partition meetings outside the GPO in O'Connell Street. No doubt Sinn Fein feels obliged to give the lash to the carthorse labouring to move the bogged-down unity wagon.
But are there many votes in it? I doubt it. Plans to commemorate the centenary of the 1916 Rising butter few parsnips in Ballymun.
As for partition, Ireland's historic problem, fundamentally, was always lack of coal, a commodity upon which its neighbours' wealth was based. Latterly, the Irish have tapped that wealth — on both sides of the border and with some success. The Republic's tiger was made possible by funds from the Germans, the Dutch and the British, the main net contributors to the coffers of the EU, while Northern Ireland is sustained generously by the British exchequer.
Without partition, the whole island would depend solely upon Brussels funds —which are now being sharply reduced. In this of all times, how unity would benefit the economic equation, as Sinn Fein claims, is a question without an answer.
Sinn Fein's problem is that the electorates — on both sides of the border — appreciate in the gut which side their bread is buttered.
Comments
46 Comments
Then by uniting all of us within the fabric of a United Kingdom, we become a stronger, more clued-up band of nations. No?
I have nothing to fear from the United Kingdom and have more in common with my English, Scottish and Welsh neighbours than I do those down in the Republic. What have Irish Republicans got in common with me?
In your opinion, what do you reckon unionists/Unionists fear about unification with the Irish Republic?
Posted by mickey | 02.03.09, 11:25 GMT
Sean, I travel extensively throughout the UK with work and vice versa I continually have people visit NI from other parts of the UK, and I'm not sure where this lack of interest in Ireland comment comes from?
The troubles meant that most people stayed away from Northern Ireland, but since the GFA, the influx of UK visitors has been steadily increasing. Of those that visit NI with work, in my experience, all love Belfast and many have returned with friends and families for weekends etc.
In my opinion, the interest in Northern Ireland from the rest of the UK has steadily grown over the past 10 years, especially in the business world. I know that I am always well accepted where ever I travel in the UK, especially in Scotland it must be said, but I feel totally integrated with the UK as a person and I believe my friends, colleagues and business associates feel totally at home when visiting Northern Ireland.
This is only my opinion, your experience may be different?
Posted by Steven 73 | 02.03.09, 11:06 GMT
Dear Mickey,
The issue has no been addressed. The Unionist community have more to fear from an indifferent British population than from the rest of the people on our island. The fact is that we want to share this island, the people on the island of Britain really have a very limited of not, a complete lack of interest in Ireland.
Seán
Posted by Seán | 02.03.09, 10:31 GMT
Sean it's 2009, how about an "agreed & pluralistic NI and ROI" within the UK (ergo within the EU too) ?
Anyway:
Would the people of the ROI want to incorporate Northern Ireland? Why ? What for ? What is in it for them ?
Would the people of the NI want to be incorporated into the ROI? Why ? What for ? What is in it for us?
Posted by mickey | 02.03.09, 09:54 GMT
McRee, England is not part of another country, England is England, perhaps you are confusing the United Kingdom?
Historically, Great Britain was THE world power, London was the capital of the world, with governing influence of nearly two thirds of the world, the British were the single most successful colonising nation in history. This included Ireland, but British penal laws against Catholics and Presbyterians in Ireland, designed to give the British greater control, made the British very unpopular, and I for one would be all for a United Ireland if this was still the case, but it's not.
This is 2009 and the United Kingdom offers a multitude of benefits to the people of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, such as the NHS, national security, currency control, transport, law, education etc etc. The simple fact is that the majority of people in Northern Ireland do not want to lose these benefits the by joining the Republic in a United Ireland, we like the UK.
Posted by Steven 73 | 01.03.09, 21:58 GMT
Eric - well, the answer is yes. Hundreds of thousands of us actually.
Posted by Mairead | 01.03.09, 21:21 GMT
It is a simple solution. Get England out of the six counties, be a country of 32 counties and put aside their differences. There will always be Ireland. And that should never include England trying to control a part of another country.
Posted by McRee | 28.02.09, 15:22 GMT
Dear Mickey,
Both countries belong to a larger hegemony called the European Union. You may recall that I have used the words "agreed & pluralistic Ireland" within the EU. Ireland was in the British Empire but for the majority, Ireland was not "part" of this hegemony. The reason being that they were a disenfranchised people on all levels. That´s history of course and it is "now" that we must define. The issue might be addressed as follows:
Would the people of the UK want to incorporate the Irish Republic ? The answer probably would be why ? what for ? what is in it for us ? or a non reply due to lack of interest or knowledge. Alas, what would the majority of people on "our" island say ?
Posted by Seán | 28.02.09, 15:19 GMT
Watcher - if you new what a fact was you'd realise that the vast majority of all immigration to Ireland has been from non-EU and new EU countries - source - Irish Immigration. There is no evidence of a return of former Irish citizens. In fact many of those fwho did move to RoI from Eastern Euro countries and Africa have left in recent times because of racism - source, the Guardian, a respected UK paper. Also you need to accept that the hundreds of millions that RoI received from the EU have kept it afloat and allowed the government to make the country attractive to inward investment. No doubt you will come up with a contradictory source to support your argument.
Posted by Peadar | 27.02.09, 20:09 GMT
Perplexed, how is SF ignoring the GFA?
Posted by Watcher | 27.02.09, 17:14 GMT
Alan,
'the fall in protestant population has never been explained'
Actually the reasons are very well documented.
1. Massive workplace discrimination and social intimidation in the decades following partition. 30% of the pre 1921 protestant population had emigrated by 1926 (I know Ireland had a protestant president at the time - go figure)
2. The marriage rules introduced by the catholic church in the early 20th century that sought written prenuptial garuntees that all children must be brought up catholic. Before that the (very sensible) Irish tradition was that girls would follow the mothers religon and the boys would follow the fathers. The church also refused to recognise civil marriages for the catholic participant.
I know that things are very different now and you personally would abhor such behaviour, but it did happpen. As ever, Irish history is not as straight forward as we would sometimes like it to be.
Posted by SteveW | 27.02.09, 17:04 GMT
Sean, 1801 is a long time ago. How do you know a UK including the Irish Republic would not be a better arrangement in the 21st Century? And why should it be any less palatable to you than the imposition of a UI might be to me?
Armagh Boy > I didn't realise these Republican terrorists were peddling drugs & targeting catholic men and women in our Police Service, in order to push through Irish Unity.....WAKE UP MAN, FOR GOD'S SAKE.
Posted by mickey | 27.02.09, 09:25 GMT
something that perplexes me in all of this is Sinn Feins promises over the years to start doing proper politics on bread and butter issues. Yet here they are playing the divisionist green card and moving backwards. My hopes of voting for the new fledgling Labour Party here are dashed because I'll now need to vote to oppose Sinn Fein again instead of voting against cuts to services and helping pensioners etc etc. Just when N.I starts to move forward, SF ignores the Good Friday agreement whereby the future of NI would be decided by the people of NI. Given that this position is unlikely to change for at least 20 years why can SF not accept it and start to address real politics?
Posted by perplexed | 27.02.09, 08:14 GMT
Peadar, repeating an erroneous statement followed by the word 'fact' does not make it true. Abandoning protectionism, access to EU markets, and economic and social reforms by successive governments were by far the dominant factor in generating the Celtic Tiger. Source? The Economist. A highly respected British newspaper. Your source is the rumour mill. As for claiming that emigration has not reversed, I have no idea where you're coming from there. This contradicts both the experience of every Irish community in the USA and population figures that show an increase in the ROI's population of 8.1% from 2002 to 2006, and 10% of the population having moved there from somewhere else (the UK being the biggest source followed by Poland). I suggest that you look up the meaning of the word 'fact.' It doesn't mean some random piece of information pulled out of thin air with no basis whatsoever.
Posted by Watcher | 27.02.09, 03:42 GMT
Why does all the talk for Irish Unity constantly focus on Sinn Féin when there are at least two pro unity parties bigger than them i.e.
Fianna Fáil - The Republican Party, and
Fine Gael - The United Ireland Party.
Just to remind you, these are the two biggest parties in the history of the state and there has never been a Government without one of them in it (since independence). Therefore, you might want to broaden your focus a little bit.
Steven 73, the fall in protestant population has never been explained but given that 25% of our presidents have been Protestant, along with numerous politicians and celebrities, you can be certain that it is not due to lack of equality. It doesn't matter what religion you are down south.
Whlie SF are not everyones cup of tea they did get an extra 50,000 (approx) first preference votes last time out, bringing their total to well over 100,000.
Posted by Alan | 26.02.09, 18:41 GMT
Everyone read SteveW's comment below. His last sentence is the truth if ever I read the truth. If there was not the arguement over Irish unity and the Northern Ireland issue, Ireland would disappear into insignificance, except for St.Patrick's day of course.
The Irish problem was mainly always a working class problem. So, why are the Sein Fein leaders millionaires?? It is always about lust for power and money, or else Gerry and the boys would be living up the Falls still without a luxury cottage in Co. Donegal and elsewhere!!
Posted by canuck | 26.02.09, 16:44 GMT
saoirse32 - why does anyone opposed to Irish (dis)unity have to be a 'jackboot unionist'? Why can we not just be vocal advocates of the UK without being insulted. You know a united British Isles would be the most beneficial solution for all of us and retain some semblance of independence from Brussels which is gradually eroding everyone's national sovereignty as well as allowing everyone the freedom to worship as they wish.
Posted by Peadar | 26.02.09, 15:34 GMT
Armagh Bhoy,
'But the point once again is that thy are doing it for Irish Unity.'
So they are getting rich for the sake of Ireland/Ulster (delete as appropriate) - Oh the sheer sacrifice of it all.
Dont you think that, just possibly, the unity/Ulster thing may just be a fig leaf to cover naked lust for money and power.
Posted by SteveW | 26.02.09, 13:39 GMT
Watcher, you like so many are in awe of what the Republic achieved that you fail to acknowledge, it wouldn't be where it is without so much Euro money - fact. Of the mass migration from the Republic to the UK in the 70's 80's and even during the Celtic tiger, there has never been a reversal. Why does Gerry A think his great Irish diaspora is going to do him any good, when most never set foot back in Ireland except for weddings and funerals. For those of you in awe, simple solution is to go and live there and help build the next celtic pussycat. Me, I'm happy with my country's present position within the UK.
Posted by Peadar | 26.02.09, 13:02 GMT
Mickey,
Yes i do agree that the sooner these people are caught, the better. But the point im trying to make is that there is still ALOT of people that wish for Irish Unity, Not just a handfull.
And as For SteveW,
Terrorism pays a lot better than most real jobs, Again I agree, But the point once again is that thy are doing it for Irish Unity.
Posted by Armagh Bhoy | 26.02.09, 12:29 GMT
46 Comments