THE FIANNA FÁIL STORY.......The Rise And Decline Of Fianna Fáil , by Kevin Boland - Mercier Press.
Seán Lemass And The Making Of Modern Ireland , by Paul Bew and Henry Patterson - Gill and Macmillan.
By Roy Johnston.
From 'Gralton' magazine, Aug/Sept 1983.
Indeed , the Bew-Patterson concept of imperialism is curiously eclectic - "....(either) a malign force deliberately generating under-development in dependent States....(or) a progressive force which tends to develop productive forces on a world scale." They complain that there is little detailed discussion of specifice cases based on any reliable documentation , but I suspect that this is an artefact of the English-dominated academic system.
Most analysis of imperialism is in the literatures of the anti-imperialist movements. Having said this , they go on to document the Anglo-Irish negotiations of 1947 in such a way as to conclude that neither model of imperialism holds in the Irish case.
This is just not good enough, especially when at the end of the day one is left with the impression that the 'main enemy' is the protectionist Irish bourgeoisie , feeding a common fallacy of the contemporary Irish Left.......
(MORE LATER).
THE PETER BERRY PAPERS....... The Top Secret Memoirs of Ireland's Most Powerful Civil Servant : Dirty Tricks, Election '69/ Spying on a Unionist Politician/ Keeping the (State) Taoiseach informed/ The Garda Fallon Murder/ Advice to Jack Lynch- 'Fire the pair of them...'/ Vivion De Valera's advice to O'Malley/ Rumours of a Coup D'Etat/ The Internment Plot, November 1970/ Secret Meeting with William Craig.From 'MAGILL' magazine , June 1980.
OCTOBER 10th 1969 :
" The Commissioner , Mr Wymes, called at my request and we discussed the problems and I undertook to seek the Minister's approval for a strengthening of the 'S Branch' by thirty men ; the Commissioner made no demur of any kind and seemed satisfied that the 'S Branch' were on top of their job and were adopting the right course."
OCTOBER 14th 1969 :
" The Minister , Mr O Morain , called at my request and I told him of my discussions with the police. I urged an increase of 30 in the 'S Branch' strength and more money for electronic equipment , to which he readily agreed and I informed the Commissioner. Months later I was to hear that the job of watching the bank robbers was allotted to the ordinary crime squad , with an addition of 16 men , none of whom was familiar with the Saor Éire set-up. The switch was due to local police friction in Dublin Castle......."
(MORE LATER).
AN ENGLISH QUEEN IN IRELAND IN 1849.....
Queen Victoria of England was of German descent : she was born in 1819, at the Kensington Palace, to Princess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld and Prince Edward Augustus, Duke of Kent. In 1849 , as now , various Irish political seoinín wanted to be seen 'mixing' with those that they viewed as being in a similar 'Class' to themselves , and invited the woman to Ireland for a visit.....
"In the very midst of all this havoc, in August, 1849, her Majesty's Ministers thought the coast was clear for a Royal Visit. The Queen had long wished, it was said, to visit her people of Ireland; and the great army of persons, who, in Ireland, are paid to be loyal, were expected to get up the appearance of rejoicing......one Mr O'Reilly, indeed, of South Great George's Street, hoisted on the top of his house a large black banner, displaying the crownless Harp; and draped his windows with black curtains, showing the words Famine and Pestilence: but the police burst into his house, viciously tore down the flag and the curtains, and rudely thrust the proprietor into gaol......
'The Freemans Journal' newspaper says, that on passing through Parkgate Street, Mr James Nugent, one of the Guardians of the North Union, approached the royal carriage, which was moving rather slowly, and, addressing the Queen, said: 'Mighty Monarch, pardon Smith O'Brien.' Before, however, he had time to get an answer, or even to see how her Majesty received the application, Lord Clarendon rode up and put him aside....."
(More here....)
Also then , as now , protests against the visit of an English 'queen' will be held and , like Mr James Nugent (above) , Republican Sinn Féin will be hoping to 'have a word in her ear....'.
This blog will be only too happy to publicise such protests , so watch this space....
Thanks,
Sharon.
