BRITISH OCCUPATION AND THE LONDON 'TIMES' .
From 'The United Irishman' newspaper, January 1958 .
In some ways it is a pity the 'London Times' newspaper isn't more widely read in Ireland . The issue of December 9 , 1957 , for example , makes interesting reading : that Imperial organ set us straight on partition and Irish independence , and should be made required reading for the front-benchers of Fianna Fail and Fine Gael:
" It's (ie the Six Occupied Counties) resolution to remain under the Crown and to keep the Union Jack flying has not swerved . The second problem is the perennial one of keeping the peace. The Free State , now a republic ('1169..' Comment - ... a banana republic, only..) came into being because a minority of Irishmen felt so strongly that they were prepared to fight . ('1169..' Comment - shame on that 'minority' , to be sure . Didn't they know that the Empire had troublesome natives in other colonies to be dealing with ? No damn consideration , what !)
The men ('1169...' Comment - ...and women!) who fought were hailed as heroes and martyrs . This is understandable enough as a common accompaniment of militant patriotism but , as always happens in such cases , it proved easier to encourage young men to use the gun than to persuade them that the time for doing so was past . The Northern Ireland Government (sic- a puppet administration , guided by Westminster) has to-day perpetually to be on its guard against murderous raids carried out by gangsters who see themselves as patriots following in the footsteps of heroic fathers....... "
(MORE LATER).
ECONOMY IN CRISIS - An Historical Perspective.......
By any standards the economy of Ireland , North and South , can be described as being in a sorry mess with crisis , recession and imminent bankruptcy the most constant themes of economic discussion , intermittently over the last decade and ceaselessly in the last three years . In this article , Peter Graham surveys the factors which have produced this economy , and the historical role of foreign and native Irish capital.
From 'IRIS' magazine , November 1982.
The future , then , for Ireland , economically and socially , depends not on more attempts to rescue or prop up the capitalist system , which has proved impotent , but on replacing it totally .
The inextricably malignant influence of Britain's interference remains as relevant as it ever was , economically , in Ireland , but at the same time the native capitalist malignancy has been developing within . Both must be destroyed .
[END of 'ECONOMY IN CRISIS - An Historical Perspective']
(Next : 'A Portrait Of Ireland' - from 1986)
ROBERT EMMET - THE DARLING OF ERIN.
Margaret McKearney looks at the life and death of one of Ireland's most enduring heroes.
From 'Fourthwrite' magazine, Autumn 2003.
Son of Dr Robert Emmet and Elizabeth Mason, with the father serving as state physician to the vice-regal household : however , the good doctor wasc a social reformer who believed that in order to achieve the emancipation of the Irish people it was first necessary to break the link with England .
Born into this household on March 4th , 1778 , Robert Emmet was baptised on March 10th in St Peter's Church of Ireland in Aungier Street , Dublin . The young Robert attended Oswald's School in Dropping Court , off Golden Lane , Dublin . From there he went to Samuel Whytes School in Grafton Street , quite near his home , and later to the school of the Reverend Mr Lewis in Camden Street .
He entered Trinity College , Dublin, in October 1793 at the age of fifteen and a half where he practiced his oratorical skills in the Historical and Debating Societies . One of his friends at TCD was the poet Thomas Moore.......
(MORE LATER).