‘LAW AND ORDER IN OCCUPIED IRELAND…….’
From ‘The United Irishman’ newspaper, January 1958 .

For the first time ever , according to a Tory-Unionist announcement in Belfast , the Six-County group of Conservative Imperial M.P.’s in the British House of Commons, were dined and wined by British Prime Minister Harold MacMillan at Number 10 Downing Street on December 4th , 1957 .

It was described as a purely social occasion , but the Imperial M.P.’s from Occupied Ireland said later that a full discussion of Six County affairs had taken place : the reason for the dinner , Belfast Tory-Unionists said , was to give Harold MacMillan an opportunity to learn about Occupied Ireland’s problems in the “…security and economic..” fields !

Present at the dinner was Mr. R. A. Butler, ‘Lord Privy Seal’ and British Home Secretary who is the British Cabinet member directly responsible for Occupied Ireland . ‘Sir’ Phelim O’ Neill sent Harold MacMillan a telegram saying he could not be present as he was fog-bound on his way from the Six Counties . His plight seems to illustrate the position of the Stormont Tories in general …
[END of ‘LAW AND ORDER IN OCCUPIED IRELAND’]
(Next - ‘The Question Of Partition’ : from the same source)

OUT OF THE WOMEN’S GHETTO …….

By INEZ McCORMICK.
A review of Margaret Ward’s book - ‘Unmanageable Revolutionaries:Women and Irish Nationalism’ .
From ‘FORTNIGHT’ magazine , October 1983.

The State’s ‘Family Planning Act’ was a male solution to a problem conceptualised in male terms which , on the evidence of this book , is the same as an ‘Irish solution to an Irish problem’ , in Charlie Haughey’s memorable if unenlightened phrase.

Only James Connolly - here given his due as one of the very few Irish revolutionaries who recognised the centrality of women’s demands - was aware that struggle can be undertaken in a spirit of pleasure , warmth and joy , and that to demonstrate these qualities is to affirm one’s determination neither to accept defeat nor to accept one’s enemies definition of defeat - in appropriate circumstances they are revolutionary weapons…….
(MORE LATER).

WHAT ROUGH BEAST IS THIS , ITS HOUR COME ROUND AT LAST…….?

By JOHN WATERS.
From ‘IN DUBLIN’ magazine, ‘Election Special’ , 1987.

Charles Haughey may act like a despot but he is a committed democrat . (’1169…’ Comment : ‘Committed’ to his own well-being…) He repeatedly points out that Ireland is the home of western democracy and his greatest wish is to be loved by what he terms “my people” (Link here…) . Moreover , what his critics in this respect invariably miss is the degree of irony which is inherent in his persona .

P.J. Mara’s ‘Uno Duce’ remark , for example , was a throwaway joke which was taken out of context (’1169…’ Comment - Not so . That comment was a yardstick of how far the political gombeen ‘yes’ men and women were prepared to go to support their ‘Boss’ and , in doing so , they hoped , safeguard their own sleezy careers ) . Nobody who knows P.J. Mara could possibly think otherwise . (’1169…’ Comment - …see last comment.) Charles Haughey was furious about that incident , though he undoubtedly appreciated the irony .

But Mr. Mara has not abandoned his sense of humour as a result of this ‘bad experience’ : at the launch of the Fianna Fail election manifesto in a Dublin hotel last week , the music which blared from the sound-system before the press conference was Beethoven’s Emperor Concerto. Not one journalist mentioned this . Journalists don’t much like jokes unless they are on somebody else . (’1169…’ Comment : ….and some people will go out of their way to excuse arrogance as a ‘joke’ , especially when that arrogance comes from a person they admire…. )

(MORE LATER).