JOSEPH BRENAN ; 1828-1857 : 'Young Ireland' Leader .......
....... Joseph Brenan was living in Dublin when the British 'Authorities' closed-down 'The United Irishman' newspaper in May 1848 ; the Brits had been keeping an eye on Joseph Brenan , who was writing articles for various publications calling on people to rise up in arms against them .......
After they closed down 'The United Irishman' newspaper , the Brits watched as Joseph Brenan began writing for the 'The Irish Tribune' newspaper , edited by Richard Dalton Williams and Kevin Izod O'Doherty , and another short-lived Rebel newspaper , 'The Irish Felon' , edited by John Martin .
Joseph Brenan , now in his early 20's , and in a leadership position in 'The Young Irelanders' Movement , was quite openly calling for an immediate Rising against the British , to begin in Dublin , and which , he opined , would spread to the rest of the country ; but Dublin was the then stronghold of the British presence (mid-1848) and it was suggested that a military campaign against the Brits would have a better chance of success were it to start in the rural areas .
A group of Irish Rebels , under the Command of John O'Mahony (who was later to be elected leader of the American Fenian Organisation , 'Clann na Gael' , and was to be described by the Fenian author John O'Leary as - " ...an advanced democrat of socialist opinions " ) was operating in the County Waterford area and Joseph Brenan caught up with O'Mahony and his group near the Comeragh Mountains .......
WHERE MOUNTAINY MEN HAVE SOWN :
war and peace in rebel Cork ,
in the turbulent years 1916-21.
By Micheal O'Suilleabhain : published 1965.
A DRIVE TO CORK CITY .......
"....... Jim Grey and I split-up , with myself about twenty-yards behind him , as we walked to 'Johnson and Perrots' garage for tyres ; Jim did'nt know it yet , but he had 'picked-up' a 'tail' , and I kept a close eye on both Jim and this other man . When this stranger was satisfied that Jim was in the Office of the garage , he turned to go ......."
" My left hand fell on the strangers neck ; he struggled to complete his exit but failed - I pushed him in the doorway , and into the corner formed by the sliding door and its pillar . He demanded an explanation but I told him to wait for a little while . Presently Jim returned from the garage Office . " We will go , Mick ," he said , then he caught sight of the prisoner . " Who is he ? " he asked . " I don't know , " I answered , and told him the story .
The man admitted that I had told the truth , that he had followed Jim , but said that he had done so through idle curiosity . " You were going to Union Quay ," (the British Barracks) Jim said gently , " and now my poor man , " he added , " you may carry on , but you'll never reach the place . " The tout made further protests against the idea that he meant to do us any harm , and so we left him . We reported the matter to 'Flurrie' , one of our men in the area , and the tout was picked-up , tried and acquitted ; his plea was still that of idle curiosity .
It seemed an extraordinary plea , but all his people were found to be honest and in no way hostile towards us - we were glad to hear that he got the benefit of the doubt . To hear of a young Irishman convicted of spying on his own people would be the most melancholy news of all ......."
(MORE LATER).
GETTING OUT .......
'Britain has the economic clout to impose peace in Northern Ireland (sic), argue BOB ROWTHORN and NAOMI WAYNE . Why does'nt it use it ? '
(First published in 'New Statesman and Society' Magazine , 9th September , 1988 , pages 12 and 13).
Re-produced here in 10 parts .
[Apologises beforehand for the use of the descriptions "Northern Ireland" and "Province" , and the constant use of the terms "Catholics" and "Protestants" in the following ten-part article ; they are not our descriptions or terms , but the Authors].
(6 of 10).
Many Protestants fear that they would be oppressed by the Catholic majority in a united Ireland ; this fear is greatly exaggerated . Leading nationalist politicians of all kinds have frequently made it clear that they would guarantee Protestant religious and political freedoms in a united Ireland . But Britain and the 'Republic' should at once take positive measures to reassure Protestants about the kind of future they could expect .
They would have to be welcomed into the new state and given specific guarantees over employment rights , civil and religious liberties , and so on . Britain's continued aid would underpin these assurances and Britain could make it clear that its continuing economic power in Ireland would be used , if need be , further to protect their rights and liberties .
In any event , the gap between Catholic and Protestant moral values is nowhere near as large as is often assumed . It should by no means be unbridgeable in a united Ireland .......
(MORE LATER).
