Hundred Years Sham Fights

Guest writer Mark McGregor with a piece on the Decade of Centenaries.

Saturday (29.09.12) saw the first showpiece event in what has been called a ‘Decade of Centenaries’. Tens of thousands of Orangemen, bandsmen, political Unionism and members of loyalist paramilitary groups marched en masse through Belfast to Stormont to celebrate the signing of the Ulster Covenant. While there was little trouble around event, beyond traditional disrespect outside Catholic churches, it should give pause for thought on how such commemorations are conducted, their role and purpose.

As is their wont Unionism decided a show of marching strength incorporating the Loyal Orders, politics and loyalist paramilitarism the most appropriate form of commemoration. No doubt similar assembled hordes traipsing after bands will be a key feature at future anniversaries of significance to them.

Other centenaries on the horizon include:

•    Battle of the Somme,
•    Easter Rising
•    War of Independence
•    Establishment of Northern Ireland and the Irish Free State

The northern regime at Stormont has sought to take a central role in leading these commemorations:

It has been unanimously agreed that the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Investment and the Minister for Culture, Arts and Leisure will jointly bring forward a programme for a decade which will offer a real opportunity for our society to benefit economically and continue its transformation into a vibrant, diverse and enriched place to visit.

Though Ulster Covenant events certainly didn’t hit many of their supposed benchmarks:

These significant events will be organised under the principles of; educational focus, reflection, inclusivity, tolerance, respect, responsibility and interdependence.

It seems likely that Unionism regardless of any of the above will focus on marching spectaculars at each event of value to them. Though doubtless the Somme will also be used to further attempt wringing legitimisation of senseless Imperialist slaughter from political Nationalism. They will be again asked to not only reflect on the misguided Irish Nationalists duped to their deaths in support of John Bull, not out of shared historical memory but to subvert nationalism into retrospectively endorsing the misadventures of the British Empire.

In the north the key commemoration for Republicans, historical Nationalists and Republicans reinvented as Nationalists will be the 100th Anniversary of the Easter Rising.

As is their wont Sinn Féin and the remnants of the provisional movement will attempt to lead this commemoration.

Given recent comments from Sean ‘Spike’ Murray on demilitarising SF led commemorations it is extremely unlikely we will see them attempt to assemble hordes of marching men.

As a Republican I don’t intend to duck my responsibility in examining how we manifest our culture at various parades. While Republican parade routes are usually free of contention confining their parades to Republican areas or neutral zones, we need to question the display of replica weapons as a form of pageantry at some Hunger Strike commemorations. What message does this send out in the context of a genuine drive for reconciliation and nation building? Do some of our bands in military style uniform, with militarist symbols on drums convey a sense of demilitarisation and an acceptance of peaceful and democratic means? These and other questions are already being debated within Republican circles and I myself have addressed some of these issues with the bands themselves. The imagery on display with a small number of bands is at variance with current Republican thinking and direction. So let us revisit this debate and reach a consensus on the way forward.

However, this will be no surprise as it has long been clear that SF are seeking to minimise their support for public demonstrations and have retreated to a keynote Hunger Strike parade as their major annual display. It has long been apparent they seek to centralise power into elected hands at Stormont and therefore clearly reduce other methods of political demonstration be they street protest or massed ranks of marching men.

Of course there will be competing narratives trying to wrest ownership and legitimacy of commemorations of significance to nationalism and republicanism:

•    The Irish state will seek ownership as legitimate inheritors
•    SF will seek ownership and legitimacy from these events both for their current political project and the historic role of the pIRA they once were junior partner to
•    Dissenting (traditional) republicans will mirror what SF previously did and seek legitimacy and claim current endorsement through commemorating
•    The poor SDLP will be left looking foolish by trying to attach themselves to events they have no realistic link to

As was apparent during Unionism’s first attempt at ‘celebrating’ events in this decade of centenaries they essentially replicated the events of 100 years ago. They seemed comfortable presenting themselves as the same unchanged people in the exact same roles as their forefathers– Orange Order, political unionism and paramilitaries. The key element demonstrated was their unchanging nature and appearing a historical throwback seemed like slipping into a pair of older slippers it was so natural. There was no vibrant forward looking culture to celebrate as a result of what they commemorated. Nothing to rejoice in of today they could point to and say; thanks to what went before we now have something new, dynamic, vibrant and of value. Their celebration was being exactly the same people in exactly the same organisations as those that came before separated only by time.

This is the challenge for republicanism and republicans now nationalist as they face their own key commemorations -how not to appear a backwards group reliving the lives and defeats of forefathers.

Historical parading is demonstrably not the way forward. We‘ve seen how it looks - backwards, insular and quite foolish. Doing it in huge numbers just makes more people look like museum exhibits.

SF clearly won’t go down this pointless route as I’ve already pointed out they seek to take control of anything with political significance and now centralise that power in the British administration they work within. They certainly wouldn’t support numerous open membership organisational committees arranging events and showpieces across the land. That would be a potential dilution of authority.

With them I expect a focus on non-political manifestations that are celebratory and forward looking but easily under the control of their people. An obvious option would be to expand their West Belfast cultural control Feile an Phobal model into a national festival of commemoration.

Other traditional republicans will no doubt focus on street manifestations of marching or protest. With limited numbers they will look just as ridiculous, backward and foolish as their Unionist neighbours do but with the added disadvantage of demonstrating their impotency in tiny numbers.

A possible method of republicanism wresting control from organs that will be developed to support a SF narrative could be to organise, over the long-term, inclusive and broad bodies that promote Republican commemoration and celebrate vibrant communities but don’t rely on the SF linked leaders and their funding lines. Committees open to all, across the land that share a common purpose of commemoration/celebration free from the political direction of Stormont or the nationalist parties that work within it.

Is republicanism up to the challenge of ensuring a decade of commemorations doesn’t result in a decade of events developed to support SF or a decade of ridiculous displays of impotency? I’ve seen nothing that would give me confidence.