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.
Because the contemporary pundits quoted by Bew and Patterson were themselves unaware of the extent to which Irish emigré scientists and technologists were fuelling the R&D systems of the TNC's , the authors managed to avoid exposing this important national myopia.
Irish geologists who could have told Irish governments of the effects of tax-holidays on mining concessions were themselves working for the foreign mining companies ! Also , Bew and Patterson do not query the conventional wisdom , implicit in all their sources, that the right of Irish men of property to invest abroad is untouchable.
(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.
" It was well after midnight when the Private Secretary entered my room in Mount Carmel hospital ; the hospital telephone exchange had closed at 10.00pm . I explained the position to Mr. O' Dowd and said that if it did not inconvenience the Taoiseach too much perhaps he would call to see me early next morning."
OCTOBER 17th 1969 :
" Unfortunately , the medical tests commenced at about 8.30am and I had been given an injection and rubber tubing had been inserted through a nostril to the stomach before the Taoiseach arrived sometime after 9am . There were two doctors and two nurses in the room and while they left to make way for the Taoiseach a nurse kept coming in and out , every couple of minutes , to syphon off liquid through the tubing. After our conversation was interrupted a couple of times , the Taoiseach said , petulantly, - "This is hopeless. I will get in touch with you again..."
He never resumed the conversation or referred to it afterwards......."
(MORE LATER).
3-IN-1 WEEKEND COMING UP - WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO A REST ON MONDAY.....!
There are two or three occasions every year in the Irish Republican calendar when events 'clash' - and this coming weekend is one such occasion ! The fact that clashes occur surprises no-one in the Movement and has never been used as a 'reason/excuse' to postpone or cancel any event , such is the dedication of those involved. Indeed , those of us that put this humble blog together could instance quite a few weekends over the years when we ourselves and those more deeply involved in RSF / CABHAIR / RAFFLE COMMITTEES etc literally had to be in two or more places practically at the same time and , thanks to the sheer determination of the Republican members involved , fast cars , good drivers and a solid relay system - not to mention expert timing ! - the art of 'multilocation' was temporarily mastered !
And these are the three weekend events in question :
1)
IRISH HUNGER-STRIKERS RALLY - between the years 1917 and 1981 , 22 Irish men died on hunger-strike in our on-going struggle for Irish Freedom. A Rally to commemorate those men will be held on Saturday 7th May 2011 at the GPO in Dublin city centre at 2pm : those attending are asked to assemble at the Garden of Remembrance at 1.45pm , for the parade to the GPO.
2)
REMEMBERING THE HUNGER-STRIKERS IN SONG - a commemorative ballad session will be held on Saturday night , 7th May 2011 , in the 79'r Pub in Ballyfermot , West Dublin , featuring 'The Druids'. Doors open at 8.30pm , admission is five Euro per person and a raffle will be held on the night.
3)
THE MONTHLY 650-TICKET RAFFLE will be held on Sunday May 8th 2011 in the usual venue : this month one hundred tickets have been held back from the usual distributors , of which seventy will be sold at the above mentioned events with the remaining thirty tickets to be sold in the hotel on the afternoon of the actual raffle.
All-in-all , a busy weekend for Irish Republican supporters in Dublin , but nothing that they haven't dealth with before .Our readers are invited to attend any or all of the above-mentioned events , where good company , and a good Cause , is guaranteed !
Thanks,
Sharon.
