ALL AT S.E.A....... !A light-hearted look at the 'Single European Act' legislation .
From 'The Very End' column , 'New Hibernia' magazine , May 1987.
By Patrick Murphy.
When asked how everyone in Middle Ireland was doing yesterday , a spokesman for the new state said that they were all "middling" .
And in a news story just in it has been revealed that the government has just sold off the Constitution at an auction in Sotheby's in London ; Articles 1 and 2 were sold to a British museum for £2 million and the remaining articles were sold to the National Gallery of Belgium where they will be on permanent display in Brussels .
In return for Articles 1 and 2 the government will get an EEC grant to employ two people in a factory in Mayo . Mr. Haughey said last night that he thought that two jobs was a fair swop for the Constitution . And here is the late result : Supreme Court 3 , High Court 2 . The winners will play in Europe next season .
[END of 'ALL AT S.E.A!']
(Monday , 3 April - 'THE EXTRADITION SELL-OUT' : from 1987.)
BILLY WRIGHT , LOYALIST VOLUNTEER FORCE . " I have been prepared to die for long many a year . I don't wish to die , but at the end of the day no one will force their opinion down my throat . No one . "
On August 29 , 1996 , shortly before the 'Combined Loyalist Military Command's' death threat against him expired , EMER WOODFUL interviewed LVF leader BILLY WRIGHT in his Portadown home .......
From 'MAGILL' magazine , February 1998 .
Emer Woodful : " Most people would find it hard to understand that if a death threat has been issued against someone , that you'd be very nervous , but you're sitting here this afternoon , watching Oprah Winfrey , and you seem very relaxed . "
Billy Wright : " Well , if you think you're right , then you're right . And I have done nothing wrong , except express an opinion that is the prevalent opinion of the people of Northern Ireland (sic) , and I will always do that , dear , no matter what the price . "
Emer Woodful : " Are you prepared , then , to die for this ? "
Billy Wright : " I have been prepared to die for long many a year . I don't wish to die , but at the end of the day no one will force their opinion down my throat . No one . "
Emer Woodful : " But do you feel personally driven to this , that you see no option , that it's worth dying for ? "
Billy Wright : " Well , I mean , if every time I had been threatened , I had given in , then I guess I would have been an Irish nationalist ! I'm not gonna be a PUP supporter simply because people threaten me . "
(MORE LATER).
LIAM MELLOWS AND THE IRISH CIVIL WAR .......This is the bulk of a public lecture given at University College , Galway , by Sinn Fein Ard Comhairle member and Deputy General Secretary of the 'Local Government and Public Services Union' , Phil Flynn , on December 8th 1982 , the 60th Anniversary of the Free State's execution of Liam Mellows .
First published in 'IRIS' magazine , March 1983 .
The first document from Liam Mellows , dated 26th August 1922 , read as follows -
" GENERAL SITUATION : We are as much in touch with this as the 'newspapers' and 'Poblacht' and 'Bulletin' permit . I am strongly of the opinion that the republican political and military outlook be co-ordinated . No doubt this has been done , but I mention it because during the past six months we suffered badly because responsible Officers , in their desire to act as soldiers , and because of an attitude towards 'politicians' , acquired as a result (in my opinion) of a campaign directed towards this end by old GHQ , could only judge of the situation in terms of guns and men .
Even from a military point of view it ought to have been apparent to such men that every situation and advantage - no matter of what nature - should be availed of to gain victory . However , I am not going to write an essay on this . Naturally we are thinking hard here , though the place and atmosphere is not conducive to thought : however - the net results of my cogitations are :
1 A Provisional Republican Goveernment should be set up at once even if it is unable to function , or to function only in a most limited way . This is to be done apart from the question of the Dail . The advertisement in todays newspaper regarding postponement of the Dail is inserted by the Provisional Government ; the impression the press and the Provisional Government want to create is that the next Dail is the 'Provisional Government' called for by the terms of the Treaty .
If at a meeting of the Dail this is not cleared up , and it is of 'Provisional Parliament' and not the 'Government of the Republic' - then the necessity of a 'Provisional Republican Government' is most urgent . "
(MORE LATER).
