In the latest of a series of exclusive articles for debate, former Blanket columnist, guest writer Dr John Coulter, outlines the key points of his new non-violent ideology for Irish nationalism known as National Republicanism.
The readers of The Pensive Quill, and The Blanket before that, were never under any illusion as to what I am and where I stand on Biblical Christianity, the Union and British Commonwealth.
For the record, I am an unrepentant and unashamed Radical Right-wing Unionist. At first sight, it may unusual – even downright impudent – for such a Unionist to be lecturing nationalism on a way forward.
My articles on National Republicanism could easily be dismissed as ‘the Hun’ giving another lecture on ‘how the Croppies should lie down’. That is an academic and journalistic risk I am prepared to take.
Perhaps, I can lay a foundation to the ideology of National Republicanism which I have penned myself. My advantage is that I have never been a republican, am not a republican, and will never be a republican. In short, I come to these series of articles with no prior baggage.
Firstly, I will outline why I want a debate about National Republicanism. I want republicans of all shades to consider an ideology which is non-violent; that does not take as its central pillar the need for a blood sacrifice.
During the Troubles, I have lost numerous friends and relatives to republican terror gangs. As a reporter, I covered several funerals of people murdered by the IRA and other groups.
After the Good Friday Agreement and the formation of the Northern Ireland Assembly, I was convinced – naively – that republicanism had largely turned its back on armed struggle as a weapon of persuasion.
That belief was well and truly shattered in March 2009 when my close friend, Constable Steve Carroll, was murdered by the Continuity IRA while on patrol in Craigavon. He was a great community copper and his widow, Kate, has established the Steve Carroll Foundation in his memory.
When I think of Steve, I can only conclude – what a waste of a good life. Surely, there must be a brand of republicanism which pursues entirely democratic and non-violent means?
The violent kind has led so many young republicans to throw away their lives needlessly. In this respect, over the years, I have become personally fascinated with the life of one such republican. As well as the late Steve Carroll, this young man has become the guiding influence behind the ideology of National Republicanism.
To understand this latter observation, I want to quote extensively from an article which I had published on the Irish Central website in December 2011 about this republican – Declan Arthurs.
“I demand that republicans tell me why Declan Arthurs was sent to his death at Loughgall? The Galbally 21-year-old was one of eight members of the notorious East Tyrone Provo Brigade wiped out by the SAS after bombing the Loughgall police barracks on 8 May, 1987.
“Why Declan Arthurs and why is the Loughgall ambush so much on my mind given that it happened more than two decades ago.
“That date is deeply personal to me. It was the day I plucked up the courage to ask a young woman out for a first date. Next year, we celebrate our 23rd wedding anniversary.
She was aged 21 that day – the same age as Declan Arthurs. The IRA man was only a few days older than my wife.
“While republicans rant about the so-called Loughgall Martyrs each 8 May, I always wonder what Declan Arthurs might have become had he not been gulled into joining the East Tyrone ‘RA.
“Forget rebel rhetoric that the SAS should have arrested the eight-man gang in Loughgall. Since when do British special forces take prisoners?
“There has been talk Declan Arthurs joined the Provos after attending the funeral of one of the 10 republican hunger strikers six years earlier. So was it an inflammatory speech that persuaded that brainwashed that young Catholic into becoming a militant republican?
“How many other young nationalists are in their graves across Ireland because they listened to the nutball ravings of so-called republican hardmen, filling their heads full of nonsense about fighting for Holy Mother Ireland or ridding the island of the evil British imperialists?
“Had Declan Arthurs been so duped by these hardmen that he was considering joining an even more extreme republican terror gang led by Prod hater Jim Lynagh, who was also killed at Loughgall on 8 May.
“I shed no tears at Lynagh's demise. Years earlier, he had tried to murder a close relative, but that person left the church with his clerical colleague 10 minutes ahead of schedule.
“Nicknamed The Executioner, Lynagh was a seasoned republican killer who delighted in butchering Protestants.
“How Lynagh would have gloated if he had shot dead two senior Orange clerics and Presbyterian ministers on the steps of a church.
“Was it Lynagh's evil influence which conned young Declan Arthurs to go the path of violence rather than follow a political route?
“Perhaps instead of visiting a lonely republican grave each 8 May, Declan Arthurs’ family could have been travelling to Stormont to chat with Declan Arthurs, the 46-year-old nationalist MLA for Newry and Armagh, and a Minister in the Stormont power-sharing Executive.
“I wonder if Declan Arthurs, in the few seconds before the SAS dispatched him into eternity, had the chance to consider his life in the IRA and wonder what might have been if he had become a decent nationalist politician instead of a hardened republican gunman and bomber?
“Setting aside the idiotic republican beliefs which led to his death, I have often wondered what type of young man Declan Arthurs was.
“Unionists may gloat privately or publicly at the violent death of Declan Arthurs, quoting the Bible that those who live by the sword will eventually die by the sword.
“But was Declan Arthurs sacrificed to add impetus to the fledgling peace process? Is Stormont stable today because East Tyrone extremists like Arthurs were removed?
“If Arthurs had been alive today, would he have been chief of staff of the dissident republican Oglaigh na hEireann? He could so easily have become my ONH source who just over a year ago boasted about bombing Stormont out of existence.
“It’s not just the Lynaghs which the republican community needs to purge itself off. The entire nationalist movement must ensure it does not create a culture of mad dog ranters who will egg on young men like Declan Arthurs to throw away their lives in an unwinnable cause.
“Maybe in eternity, I will have the chance to bump into Declan Arthurs. I fully intend to tell him that he wasted his life getting involved with the IRA.”
I would love the opportunity to meet one of Declan Arthurs’ relatives or close friends so they could tell me what he was like as a person, not as a republican terrorist. Perhaps some day, I will be granted my wish.
My National Republicanism seeks to avoid the two fatal flaws which have cursed nationalism since its inception – splitting and relying on violence. The British cannot be beaten militarily and republicanism needs to be a united family in modern Ireland.
Non-violence is at the core of National Republicanism. It aims to take republicans back to the ethos of the founding father of Sinn Fein, Arthur Griffith, who was really a separatist when he established the party in 1905.
It is clear Griffith saw his separatism as a form of dominion status. Within Unionism, my own think tank to inspire debate is known as the Revolutionary Unionist Convention (RUC).
The core of the RUC ideology is one party, one faith, one commonwealth. Briefly, in my unionism, my aspirations are for a single Unionist Party to represent all shades of pro-Union opinion in Ireland; that the New Testament Biblical principles of Jesus Christ should be at the core of Unionist politics, and that the way forward for the Union, Unionism and Ireland as an island lies with a closer relationship with the British Commonwealth.
National Republicanism campaigns for the aspirations of one party, one faith and one united dominion.
On one party, National Republicanism proposes a single party to represent all shades of nationalist opinion – the Democratic Republican Party.
National Republicanism seeks to combat the scourges of pluralism and secularism which has plagued Ireland. The Irish Catholic Church has been heavily undermined in terms of political influence by the clerical abuse scandals.
The old Unionist maxim of a century ago, Home Rule Means Rome Rule, no longer holds any clout. Unlike in the de Valera era, the Irish Bishops no longer have the theological grip over the Southern state it once enjoyed in the early and mid 20th century.
Unfortunately, many in Ireland confuse the Catholic clerical litany of the Church’s hierarchy with true Biblical Christianity based entirely on the Words of Jesus Christ Himself.
Many Catholic nationalists no longer have any faith in the Vatican, so National Republicanism would not just seek to reintroduce the teachings of Jesus Christ into Irish life, it would also seek to encourage the Irish Catholic Church to severe its connections with the Vatican.
Politicians should be influenced by their personal Biblical Christian faith, not the whims or blessings of the Irish Catholic bishops.
The Democratic Republican Party would be to the Left on constitutional issues, but to the Right on constitutional matters, seeking to restore the concept of ‘Pride in Patriotism.’
National Republicanism will take Ireland out of the European Union, re-introduce the Irish pound, and establish formal links with the United Kingdom as a fellow member of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association.
National Republicanism will seek to halt the brain drain in Ireland where many thousands of young people feel the only option is to emigrate. To encourage our young people to remain on the island, every citizen will do a two-year National Service in the Irish Defence Forces, where they will learn a trade.
Soldiers from the Irish Defence Forces have served with great honour in the United Nations. National Republicanism would encourage young people to seek a further option of a posting with the UN military forces, the American forces, and traditional Irish regiments within the British Army.
National Republicanism would develop the concept of Ireland for the Irish under the social, economic and cultural banner of Ireland First.
Ireland would no longer be a neutral nation, but would play a full part within NATO, as well as developing its own nuclear industry, both in weaponry and power.
Given its geographical location, National Republicanism would seek to offer the island as major bases for nuclear super powers such as the United States and Russia. Fleets of ships and submarines as well as squadrons of aircraft could be stationed and serviced at Irish ports in return for substantial inward investment for Ireland.
National Republicanism would develop the concept of Irish imperialism as part of its role within the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association.
Ireland has sent hundreds of Christian missionaries across the globe, especially to China, India and Brazil – three of the fastest growing economies in the world. That missionary link could be developed to create a new Celtic Tiger as Ireland cements relations with nations where its Christian missionaries worked – and still evangelize.
The patriotism of National Republicanism is not the violent myth of driving the British from the Emerald Isle, but ensuring its citizens stay in Ireland and use their skills to build ‘A Nation Once Again.’
National Republicanism will also re-introduce the death penalty for the murder of police officers, whether on or off duty.
This Pride in Patriotism concept will be encouraged from school age through a programme of junior wings of the IDF. Traditional names such as the Fianna and Cumann na mBan will be used to promote National Republicanism’s ethos of ‘Ireland First’.
National Republicanism is about ‘Putting Patriotic People First’ All I ask is that readers of The Pensive Quill use these articles for debate on where they are taking republicanism, otherwise they will condemn their current ideologies to another generation of senseless fragmentation and needless violence.
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John; I have read some of your stuff from time to time and if I'm honest I think you talk a great deal of nonsense for the most part.
ReplyDeleteToday though, I am actually quite offended. Who do you think you are, singling out Declan Arthurs and fantasising about what he might or might not have been? Is there nothing in your 'Christian ethos' that made you stop and think how Declans family might feel if they read this?
One comment I found particularly disgusting was 'before the SAS despatched him to eternity'.
I don't ever remember anything so disrespectful being said on this blog after the deaths of Stephen Carroll, Ronan Kerr or David Black.
This article John, sums up your hateful, egotistical, bigoted character.
John you have approached this from the blinkered onesided view point that I would have expected from a rabid Unionst supporter,it is much to simplistic to talk about fallen volunteers being induced into militant republicanism by hard nuts, the history of your beloved norn iorn was born under the threat of violence ,maintained by and with the threat of violence, internment ,special powers and gerrymandering, corruption at every level,had your unionist forefathers been true democrats this place would never had to witness the brutal civil war and the many many deaths that followed by their refusal to accept the democratic will of the majority just like your fellow travelers today and their rage at democracy in action re the "fleg"dispute,you talk about men like Jim Lynagh who you labeled a butcher and you say that without mentioning the real butchers here The Shankill Butchers some of whom are walking the streets today how scary is that?,John your ancestors took this land by force and used force to maintain their hold on it so it ill becomes you to moan about as David Irvine said a return of serve by republicans, John if anyone needs to debate and look to the future its the unionist minority of this island while this community acts and is treated as some sort of spoiled child democracy is going to be a hard road,as for violent republicanism yes I agree since a military victory is nigh on impossible republicans need to rethink their strategies,which i think is under way, you would be better served accepting the fact that this is the island of Ireland and you and your community are equal citizens not the privileged bigots that caused so much misery here over the centuries,you could start by apologising for the plantation and then everything that followed.
ReplyDeleteJohn Coulter:
ReplyDeleteG+FYS.
You are well trying to take the piss.
Using a name of a Deceased and Murdered Person by Murdering SAS.
Do You Smoke A Pipe!
[URL=http://art.ngfiles.com/images/164/terminalmontage_lost-planet-s-plot.png]JohnCoulter[/url]
ReplyDeleteDR John Coulter-
ReplyDelete" I was convinced-naively-"
The story of your life-
Perhaps it was your numerous lost
friends and relatives who were executed by Republicans who led wasted lifes whilst they were on this earth john-
Marty
ReplyDelete'had your unionist forefathers been true democrats'
don't be silly, unionists dont have four-fathers, it's been narrowed down to a possible two!
One of the most intelligent, and factually-correct articles ever posted at The Pensive Quill. John Coulter has raised some issues which the posters here find uncomfortable due to their inability to face up to their own lack of knowledge regarding Irish Republicanism, the failed Easter Rising of 1916, Peraseìs blood scarifice mantra and its toxic influence in all realms of Irish life. Schoolchildren were taught by the Christian Brothers to suck on the withered teat of Irish Nationalism whilst fostering the mistaken belief that The "Brits" were responsible for everything evil that has beset Ireland thereby letting Rome off the hook. Coulter is dead on about Loughall. The PIRA considered itself an army, therefore it should not whinge and moan hen they are directly engaged by British Special Forces. Had the British Army been allowed to wage more Loughalls and Gibraltors on the enemy, the IRA would have been defeated and forced to come to terms as dictated to by the British. All I can say is that the IRA were most fortunate to hace faced the British rather than the Serbian Army. They would have made events at Loughall look like a child's game of comboys and Indians in comparison to the heel they would have unleashed on the "Volunteers".
ReplyDeleteHahahaha!! Get in there John! You know you're on the right track when your woman has your back!!
ReplyDeleteJeanne Griffin-
ReplyDelete" The PIRA considered itself an Army "
Its Volunteers fought a war against the britsh and they fought as Soldiers-many of them were killed and their family and friends want to know the truth about their deaths-many british soldiers also were killed in Ireland-Afganistan-Iraq and many of their family and friends also want to know the truth about their deaths-one father of a dead british soldier even stood in a election against the british political leader-but you accuse such people of being whingers and moaners-
" the IRA were most fortunate to have faced the British rather than the Serbian Army "
Why is this-the brits controlled most of the world unlike Serbia-
The Serbian army were defeated in the 3 wars they fought in the 90s-check out the facts before you brag about boy scouts-
John
ReplyDelete“How many other young nationalists are in their graves across Ireland because they listened to the nutball ravings of so-called republican hardmen,
Probably the same amount of (in fact more during the 1970's. How big was the UDA at it's zenith)) young protestants by listening to the rantings of a religious nut like yourself or big Ian...or Andy Tyrie...etc.
John answer one simple Q..Why do you keep harping on about JC for..? There is very little proof he ever existed..And if he did the chances of him being militant and not a fore runner of long haired hippies of 67's summer of love are more than possible.
What makes you so sure of what 'National Republicanism' will or wont do? Do you as a unionist have inside info on what direction NR is heading? I need to re-read this piece..
Seriously, this man needs his head looked at. Having read the first paragraph, I doubt whether Dr Coulter has anything of value to say. I instincitively baulk at his term 'National Republicanism' with all of it's right wing, nationalistic connotations. His time would be better spent pondering his self proclaimed ideology rather than attempting to lecture republicans.
ReplyDeleteShould Coulter ever have the opportunity to meet with Delcan Arthurs in the afterlife, I would advise him to be more circumspect lest he finds himself nursing a broken nose. His description of Arthurs and Lynagh as extremists exposes his deepset prejudice and ignorance of all things republican. His focus on republican violence deliberately ignores the far greater violence inflicted on the Irish people by the Britiah state: Colonialism is the subjugation of a people by force.
As usual you resort to ad hominen attacks then race back to your hidey-hole rather than actually engage in debate. I am rather beginning to wonder whether you even understand the meaning of the word. My suggestion: buy a copy of the Oxford dictionary and look up the definition of debate. Now BB, that is spelled D-E-B-A-T-E. Got that?
ReplyDeleteJeanne Giffin sounds like another Ruth Dudley Edwards another mouthpiece an an apologist for perfidious albion,Irish resistance to british rule did not start with Pearse Jeanne and although those who stood up the might of the british empire knew they were fighting impossible odds,but generation after generation have stood up and slowly but surely they managed to kick the brits out of twenty six counties of Ireland not bad for a wee bunch of Paddies eh Jeanne, your glorious british army were never up to much when then were confronted by forces equal to themselves, you are right however about the Rome influence here the catholic church has been a fifth column for the brits in every sense and the sooner we see the back of both sets of bastards the better.
ReplyDeleteWouldn't get worked up about Jeanne. She's just another orange-lil dancing outside Sean Graham's bookies with orange crush in her saggy oul tits. It never occurs to her to question why her majesty's special murderers need to be in any of the 49++ countries they entered.
ReplyDeleteAs for coulter..he does know. He's a dungbeetle attempting to appear clean.
And there I was after thinking you were not cognisant of Irish history. Instead of blaming all your problems on the "Brits" or "perfidious Albion" why not study the malignant influence the Roman Catholic Church has had on the social and economic development of Ireland. Where was the Church, for example during the Potato Famine? I didn't see boatloads of food being shipped out of Vatican City. The Quakers, on the other hand did much in the way of Famine relief. As for Irish Nationalism, why is it that all the leaders of the United Irishmen were of the Anglo-Irish Protestant Ascendancy class? Perhaps Irish Protestants are the real rebels and the IRA just "Johnny-Come-Latelies.
ReplyDeleteAnd this is a blog run by a trained academic? Jesus wept.
ReplyDeleteAM.........Increasingly on your site I am seeing individuals become worked up and in some cases abusive because a contributor says something they disagree with. This should be a forum for open debate and a way of mutual understandin. Coulter is entitled to his opinions on both Lynagh and Arthurs and shouldnt be brought to book on it. Because the majority of your commenters are republicans does'nt give them the right to dismiss in such a fashion someone elses point of view. Arthurs and Lynagh may well be held in idolatary status by many republicans but you have to accept that they are seen--in Lynagh's case--as sectarian murderers--no better than the "sectarian loylaist gangs" we hear so much about on TPQ.
ReplyDeleteJeanne; I welcome debate with anyone who I feel is of equal intelligence to myself and can back up their points of view with some rationale.
ReplyDeleteFrom what I've read from you, you tick neither box.
You Jeanne, are a Wa-Wa.
John,
ReplyDeleteFair enough to open up the debate, some interesting points. Some points especially on Irish imperialism and developing a right wing approach to national republicianism were/ are simply "out of reach" with the hearts and minds people have here. Your take on republicanism as being solely a military minset is simply a pretty shallow understanding of the term. I am a dissident republican, I did not or would not support any military strategy in the past or the future. For the simple reason the British military is one of the biggest arms suppliers in the world and they have been responsible for arming many a civil war/ regime with supports their pro right imperialist stance. Militant republicians even thinking of engaging in a military campaign would do best in going into the freeview channels and look at any of the programmes around "future weapons". The programme is scary to say the least, you cannot win against the supplier of these arsenals and if you did you would be somewhere down the track buying the second rate guns in which the british have supplied to another nation. In effect financially supporting british arms imports. The british establish are responsible for war mongering. You also forget about the OIRA ands its non military approach from 70's, 80's, 90's - leading tto the workers party political strategy. This organisation is non sectarian and have held the hand out to all religious groupings.
Jeanne,
In order to debate, you would need to take your pointy hat off, as your language comes across as you are a double of jim mcallisters "sneering". I agree with you on the catholic church and the famine. Now what would you like to debate with me, as I am a socialist republician and some of my opinions differ from some of the other bloggers here. I am willing to debate anything with you, republicianism, loyalism, but first what is your angle. Are you TUV, DUP, PUP,UU, or serbian? Lets get the ball rolling...as long as it is in form of mutual respect.
Ha ha there you have it we are just a bunch of uneducated heathens who havent the sense to understand that when father unionism and his groupies speaks we should listen ,after all they came to teach us to be civilised,and we have that from the horses mouth. Jeanne is correct in her assertion that the catholic church was useless during the great hunger however those who ruled the country i.e.the british government were content to allow the population both catholic and protestant to starve to death slowly its amounts to genocide but then Jeanne and John would have a revised version of that also.
ReplyDeleteI prostrate myself before your superior wisdom, BB. I notice our learned academic and blogmaster is strangely silent. By the way, was this blog set up to discuss issues or just whine about Gerry having left all of you out in the cold in the wake of his capitulation?
ReplyDeleteJohn, Your article is the cheese on the trap and you must have known it would not go down well. Just so that you are not disappointed with the responses on here. I can tell you the day your buddy bought it, I had a smile that stretched from one side of my face to the other. Everytime republicans carry out an operation against the occupying forces, they are telling the brits to get out, the sooner that day comes the better, it would be just a great bonus if you and your likes were to follow them. Jim lynagh was a hero if only we had more of them on our side.
ReplyDeleteJeanne,
ReplyDeleteTrue Republicans hate the control the Catholic Church had on Ireland probably as much as most Unionists. Republicanism at its core shares the ideals of the French Revolution - Liberty, Equality & Fraternity. The sectarian division in Ireland was carefully manufactured by the British Government over centuries to suit its own end.....Belfast provided the ships, Munster provided the food and Dublin provided the soldiers, why would the British Gov. want to spoil the cosy little set up they had here? Once Republicanism made its presence known in the 1790s Ireland was offered a chance to break with the old hatreds and "take its place among the nations of the world" so to speak. The article is general is way off the mark, why would Ireland want nuclear weapons? Why would Ireland want to be part of NATO? John talked about in the article Ireland's brilliant record in UN peace-keeping missions, that record has been bolstered by our lack of nuclear wepaons and membership of NATO, our non-alignment makes us a perfect choice as a neutral peace-keeping country. Why would Ireland join the Commonwelath to gain more access to British markets etc? It is a moribund organisation and Britain already does more trade with Ireland than it does with Brazil, Russia, India and China combined!
The reason Declan Arthurs and many others joined the IRA was because many were being treated as second class citizens in their own country and wanted achieve a United Ireland for the benefit of all not just a corrupt minority propped up by a world power.
Jeanne,
ReplyDeleteYou seem to be out to attack. Which is easy if you do not disclose basically what you stand for and hold dear. I asked what is your position then. Or has the cat caught your tongue. I thought we were going to debate? You asked for a debate?
'Learned academic and blogmaster'
ReplyDeleteI used to watch dungeons and dragons when I was a kid too :-))
I do not see anybody defending the catholic church only those critising it. Irish Republicans have been castigated and excommunicated by the church in the past so I doubt whether you will find many of its supporters here. Irish Republicanism is a secularist ideology.
ReplyDeleteDr Coulter's personal views on Arthurs and Lynagh are deeply insulting whilst understandable coming from a radical unionist. His juxtaposing of Carrol and Arthurs is revealing in itself. The gentleman should expect harsh words in response to a typical unionist view of deceased IRA Vol's. If he is genuinely seeking to debate with republicans then he should refrain from making such highly provocative value judgements.
Feel te love; don't mince your words now!
ReplyDeletewhy do you guys still read his crap? Just skip it, he just likes to rile republicans and wind people up. He wrote one really insightful piece when writing about the struggles with his autistic son. Other than that nothing but tripe.
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteFeel te love,
'I can tell you the day your buddy bought it, I had a smile that stretched from one side of my face to the other.'
SPONSORED BY STELLA
Sentiment that is to be pitied rather than pilloried I have always found. Sentiment that is very rarely to be found in the discourse of those who have ever participated in armed conflict, are currently involved in armed conflict and indeed are ever likely to expose themselves to armed conflict. Sentiment vented by those more familiar with the blue bag than the body bag. We all know the type - voyeuristic, always voyeuristic but never themselves violent.
I staunchly believe that Ireland would have been better off had it remained under British rule. You say republicans do not support nor are they propped up by the Catholic Church. I find your protestaions a little ingenuous as the dreadfull Magdalen Laundries opened up in 1922 just after the Free State "liberated itself from the "yoke" of the oppressive Brits. Then we had decades of Church domination in the ROI. In Northern Ireland, the "evil" Unionists allowed you to send your children to Christian Brothers and convent schools despite these institutions basically feeding the impressionable kids the same "cruel Brit" heathen Orange" propaganda. Why weren't your churches and schools closed down if the British so so draconian? Catholic churches in Romania were prohibited and their priests often murdered. Yet this did not happen in Ulster. On the other hand the British system allowed people like Bernadette Devlin and Gerry Adams third level educations unavailable to young people living in the Irish Republic. There the future leaders of the Republican movement would learn Marxist idealogy and methods to further their Nationalist dreams. Of course we know the PIRA was never sectarian yet it did have amongst its members none other than tjhe dog-collared bomber Father James Chesney. And Protestant churches were often targeted such as Darkley. But I'll take your word for it lads and let you insist that religion played no part in your "righteous war of liberation". I do agree that the Nationalist movement in the 18th century was influenced by the French Revolution which was quite bloody with all those heads being carried on pikes so I'd hardly wax too lyrical over that event in history. let's fast-forward back to the present and the notion that republicanism and Catholicism don't share the conjugal bed. Hmmm have you ever heard of the Friends of Irish Freedom group? It is run by none other than Sister Sara Clarke, a nun who is furthering the Irish Catholic Church's toxic bile directed towards British people the British Army and Protestants. That group was founded in March 1916 and has been financing terror, death and mutilation for nearly 100 years. And the facebook page is full of photos of priests, friars nuns and pictures of saints. So what does this tell you. By the way, I should add that my late father was the son of Catholic immigrants from the west of Ireland. I do not hate Catholics, but Rome has been largely responsible for much of the heinous events and people in history.
ReplyDelete"I find your protestaions a little ingenuous as the dreadfull Magdalen Laundries opened up in 1922"
ReplyDeleteJeanne, this is false. All the 10 Magdalene Laundries looked at in Tuesday's report were founded before 1922. I disagree with your characterization of them as 'dreadful' - they were a product of their time and not exclusive to Catholics (eg. the Anglican Ulster Magdalene Asylum closed in the 1960s).
As to whether Ireland would have been better off under British rule, you miss the important point - the majority of people did not want that.
Jeanne you my friend are a real good example for legalising wacky tabaccie! have your blinkers removed and look at the real history of this place,since the foundation of Maynooth the hierarchy of the catholic church has been an instrument of the brits in maintaining their stranglehold on the nationalist population of this country who as you should know are in an overwhelming majority.while indeed clergy have stood by the people in their hour of need the same cant be said for the unionist side their clergy from Paisley, Bradford,Beattie have been instigators in spreading sectarian hatred,indeed the rev Willie Mc Crea shared a platform in support of mass murderer Billy Wright, we have the rev Merv Gibson ex sb now uvf on our tv,s nightly ,get real Jeanne, the catholic church as an organisation has been no friend to republicans or to Ireland unlike the so called men of god on the side of loyalism from roaring Hanna to Paisley who have fostered hate and murder in this community I live for the day when all religion is looked upon as a distant memory well forgotten about, the Magdalene scandal and all the other abuse carried out by members of the catholic church is disgusting and those who facilitated and covered it up should be hounded forever,just like those involved in the Kincora scandal,which it is reckoned to be a major cover up ,involving your friends in,mi5 and royalty, Jeanne if you insist in chucking shit make sure we all get it dont be selective,
ReplyDeleteI'll leave aside criticism of Dr. Coulter as, as above, it is his opinion and, in a Republic he's entitled to it and to express it but, by way of explaining to him why Declan Arthurs and others joined the IRA, INLA etc. he would, to understand, needed to have grown up in east Tyrone, RUC/UDR/BA rifle butts in your face as you walk about minding your own business but wearing your school uniform, assualt and harassment of helicopters hovering above your roof for what seemed like hours, directing powerful search-lights through your curtains, hitting your DaddÃ, murdering your best friends may be as much to do with it as Martin Hurson's funeral. Assualt and battery at the hands (and feet) of those tasked, and paid to uphold law and order made all of us anti-brit. I remember hearing Gerry McGeough say he was lucky he wasn't there that night, so were alot of others, Padraig McKearney and others, who would not have been bought by a new cottage in Donegal were not so fortunate, Cllr. Lynagh was not set on killing anybody that night, rather it was part of his project to clear areras of brit presence (Loughall may have been streching this a bit) and in an un-manned station, no-one would have died. Just down the road from here was Chambers pub where Unionists met to pick Catholic names out of a hat for execution (my Father being one of them, luckily they missed through cockiness) this was the area where McKearney and Arthurs, Grew, McCaughey, PJ and others grew up and it stunk if you were not Protestant, unemployment rife, housing provision non-existent 'til the '70's and then poor.
ReplyDeleteJohn Coulter is in this article not wholly off the mark as, we could never bomb a million prods into the Irish Republic expectin g them to happily re-adjust to the wearin' of the green.
Just an aside, on the point of 'how many young Republicans.....'? I worked 25 years past in UDA east Belfast and an UDA POW came in for advice on release, after getting him all I could do I asked him why he'd attempted to murder a young Catholic in the shipyard, his response, 'I listened to Paisley'. There were armchair generals on both sides but the Catholic Volunteers got alot of encouragement from the crown forces.
"If the interrogations at Kandahar were brutal,those at Bagram were pitiless.at least two Afghans diedunder interrogation after being chained from the ceiling of their cells for several days while being beating about the legs,post-mortem examinations that their injuries were so severe that had they survived their legs would have had to be amputated" extract from cruel Britannia , good old Britannia this is what John and Jeanne and others would have us all say yes to in our name carry on its the British way.ps, John Jeanne it happened here also.
ReplyDeleteI stand corrected. They were indeed founded before 1922 which does not in anyway diminish their horror nor the suffering they inflicted on those women imprisoned within their bleak walls.
ReplyDeleteRyan:
ReplyDeleteI agree with you 100%.
I would urge Republicans and Nationalists to desist from replying to those who are trying to draw you into Arguments, Anthony's Blog is not for that, They do not want debate, as you can rightly see from their posts.
That's all I am going to say on the matter and will not post on this, one of the worst pieces he has written on the TPQ.
Jeanne why are still bitter?
ReplyDeleteJeanne,
ReplyDeleteSo the catholic church in Ireland isnt your cup of tea. Guess what, it isnt mine either. Have you read the book A challeng to democracy. "Militant catholicism in Modern Ireland" Maurice Curtis. If you havent this could increase your understanding of the title. Pretty powerful reading. Often in your language you use the term ALLOWED, with talking about the unionist or British governing of the catholic here in the north. I am a little perplexed,with this usage, is this lanuguage of a "little englanger" or of a protestant supremist. Or a little mixture of both. If you are, the mentioned book would be a great asset to whip out come bonfire season. Please, now as I have helped your learning maybe you could disclose What is your politics? From what I have read you are either educated or interested in history, religion and politics. You also mentioned marxist ideology in the republican movement to further their nationalist dream, maybe you would like to discuss this, stop hiding from me and debate in order to improve our understanding of each other. Or maybe you are happy enough with tick-tock sniping about catholicism, in which is only a part of what true republicanism stands for the "unity of protestant, catholic and dissenter". Can I also ask what does a taig mean to you? I am genuinely interested.
First of all, Taig is a derogatory name (derived from the Irish name for Terence) so I would never use it. I do have issues with the Irish Catholic church (although not its members). I detest republicanism, and Fenianism. You asked about my politics well, this won't go down too well with the other posters on this blog, but I am a monarchist. Ireland as you know was a monarchy for centuries; republicanism only arrived in the wake of the French Revolution which stirred up Nationalists feelings in many. I believe some of the United Irishman had been in France at the time of its outbreak. The following century saw revolutions break out all over Europe and it was about this time that the Fenian Movement was born. The first time in history the island of Ireland was united under a single kingdom was during the reign of Henry VIII. It was his daughter Mary I who began the first Plantations in Ireland. And I'm sure you know the Irish were staunch supporters of the House of York during the Wars of the Roses. English and Irish history have been entwined for centuries.
ReplyDeleteJeanne have you never heard of Brian Boru?
ReplyDeleteJeanne,
ReplyDelete"I am a monarchist."
So you believe that an some individuals ought to be assigned a privileged constitutional status for purely hereditary reasons?
And you think republicans are nutty...
Fair enough you are a monarchist, you are entitled to your view. You must be of land and gentry, and I am mere working class croppy. We should start of slow to see if we have anything in common. I have a couple of direct questions to get the ball rolling. 1. Do you beleive in born to rule? 2. What do you think of democratic voting for all over the age of 18 regardless of class, wealth and status? 3. You detest fenianism, republicianism, how do you feel about orangeism? 4. How do you feel about socialism? I hope we can take it slow to see if we have anything in common, I hope that is fair enough? Do you have any role models? is always a good conservation opener.
ReplyDeleteHad a issue with security getting onto the blog. The power of british empire was against me there "monarchy" I may have posted my reply 3 times, if so just add the one before this please.
ReplyDeleteJeanne
ReplyDeleteyou are correct about the vatican during the famine. The sultan of Turkey offered to send £10,000 for famine relief but was told no one was permitted to send more than queen victoria £1000. not a good time for famine victims, huh?
Stephen Ferguson,
ReplyDeletenot to diminish your observation the fact the Quill carries Dr. Coulter’s articles would indeed validate his opinions. The fact that Dr. Coulter has to date never answered one of his detractors here might suggest he is unconcerned by any response.
How people respond to any article is self expression in the interest of open debate it would be pointless to deny a comment on the grounds that others may not like or agree with. Why not engage those commenter’s you disagree with rather than calling for a referee when no foul has been committed.
I am sure TPQ gets its fair share of comments that are rightly filtered to the bin.
Personally I stopped reading Dr Coulter’s contributions as they are riddled with the old mentality of superiority but hold no objection to the Quill carrying them.
Itsjustmacker,
ReplyDeleteI enjoy good debate with people of opposing views, but this guy just seems like he wants to throw hand grenades and cause chaos to draw attention to himself.
Stephen,
ReplyDeletesorry for not getting back earlier but I was away for two days and never saw a computer once - no bad thing.
I am not sure what your complaint is. This is a site that allows harsh commentary. There is no tiptoeing around on eggshells. I rushed thru the comments after they were posted due to being away and found them of no concern. John Coulter certainly does not care about the broadsides launched against him. I guess he sees it as par for the course, something that goes with the turf and I have no doubt he will be back with even more articles that annoy a lot of people. Protecting people from being annoyed or protecting those who annoy them from expressions of that annoyance is not what this blog is about.
It is sometimes said a good writer can be judged from the people he annoys.
The only person that can 'officially' bring people to book on the site is me, courtesy of the fact that I manage it. John Coulter was provided with the means to express his opinion and he has not been brought to book on any of his opinions. I haven't discussed it with him and have no intention of doing so. He knows all this anyway given our shared commitment to free inquiry. He will continue to post here regardless.
People are quite entitled to dismiss his view just as you are entitled to support it. We are simply asked to respect another's right to have an opinion; there is no requirement to respect the opinion they hold. I don't respect the opinion of John Coulter, just his right to have it. Nor does he respect mine. Why should he? On the question of say evolution and creationism we totally disdain each other's opinion but don't try to suppress expressions of those opinions. John Coulter is solid on the issue of anti-censorship. That's fine by me.
His view on the IRA volunteers mentioned rubs me up the wrong way but so what?
Menace,
ReplyDeletesend me your email addrss ( not for publication) and I will get back to you
Anthony:
ReplyDeleteI stated in an earlier post I would not comment anymore on the subject of John Coulters Piece, I have to break that promise, just to congratulate you on your comment, which, in my opinion is honest and to the point, the TPQ is what I would call, A Proper Blog Site, I congratulate you again on this post and I hope those who are not happy with replies now understand, ITs called FREE SPEECH, something we never had in our childhood, nor, in our teens, as for myself, I never had it when I became an adult, but, now we all have it, that is, IF WE TOE THE LINE!
Apart from poster James, who is serious about hearing viewpoints which differ from his own, the rest of you including Mackers, Marty and Alfie Gallagher, are merely Fenian fascist idealogues. You cannot deal with any words or historical facts which could possibly cause the vision of Patrick Pearse to topple from the Pantheon where you have placed him along with later martyrs such as Bobby Sands, Jim Lynagh, Dolours Price and countless others. These men and women blighted an entire generation of Catholics and Protestants alike with an endless stream of bombings, shootings, punishment beatings, kneecappings, tarring-and-feathering. This calculated bloodletting was taken across the water to England, Holland, Germany, where outsiders were made to feel the scourge of your demented wrath. Nobody was spared from the fury of the IRA and INLA. They massacred men, women, children, babies in prams, soldiers, policemen, teenage students, barmen, fishmongers, shopperkeepers, disco dancers, pub- goers, cancer researchers, diners, roylas, ambassadors, the unborn, pensioners,newspaper sellers, shoppers, Australian tourists, pizza delivery men, Sunday School teachers, mill workers, shit nobody couldn't say republicans didn't put socialism in action throughout their "armed struggle". Your movement is a mess. Always was and always will be. They hijacked the Irish identity for their own egotistical purposes which was to create demagogues such as John Stephenson and Gerry Adams. Not content with destroying and poisoning future generations against one another, they seek to rewrite history making themselves noble freedom fighters who sought to redeem their downtrodden populace. Marty's question about Brian Boru is as absurd as the republican illussion of a "united Ireland". Northern Ireland is British and long may the Union Flag fly over every public edifice. You wished for my opinion. You've got it. James, I will answer each of your queations later on. I appreciate your candour and civility.
ReplyDeleteJeanne, fair does to you for persistently expressing your opinion unbended, that's what blogs are for, this one thankfully is unlike P.ie or Slugger as the unnecessary bile generated by some fustrated posters tends not to become expressed here however, you are right, the war did create casualties, many of them innocent, but it was on both sides. The brit's have a long history of murdering the innocent, my own uncle, as a brit, flew bombers over Dresden, though as a human hated what he had done, they did it post war in Palestine, Aden and now Iraq and Afghanistan so it strikes me the populism with which former Volunteers are held is better deserved than those inflicting the atrocity of occupation.
ReplyDeleteI was in Norway two years ago, the man I stayed with was highly regarded locally simply because his Father had been a hero of the Ling, I work today with a Polish lassie whose family are well respected and connected because her Granda was a hero of the Polish resistance,
My point being, when people fight what Britain regards as fascism they become hero's, the men, Declan and Jim included, who fought for the freedom of Ireland and the creation of the second Republic, like their forbearers of Pearse, Rossa, O'Hanlon Connolly et. al, are amongst the downtrodden held in the same high regard, for the same reason.
I'm wholly aware the war continues in our heads and few of us can get a good understanding of the other sides issues (with the few exceptions of Bunting, Cooper, Casement), this is our main problem and them who thought a wee bit of power sharing and we'd forget all our past are wholly wrong.
Oh, northern Ireland (sic) is not British, constitutionally it's part of the united kingdom but it's part of Ireland, not Britain.
Jeanne what is absurd about about Brian Boru,he was the last high king of Ireland historical fact, as another blogger pointed out my politics has no time for the silver spoon class or kings and queens, your rants again are all one sided even more so than the bloggers from the loyalist community who have a real on the ground knowledge of the history of the troubles and not the Thiepval version,which I suspect you are an employee of or would it be the new Loughshore building, loyalist and unionist bloggers like Robert ,Stephen can produce arguments that make us stop and think and admit that they have a point,you on the other hand think the sun shines out of the arse of your employers,you in all you rants never once admitted atrocities committed by the state or its agencies here, unlike the state itself in relation to Bloody Sunday Tony bLiar himself admitted it was a dirty war Patrick Benstead an innocent human being with learning difficulties was found butchered with his penis in his mouth butchered in the name of loyalism ,would you care to comment ms Jeanne or is your gob to full of shite.
ReplyDeleteRobert. Your attempts at critisism of my post is pathetic, the age old tactic of mudslinging. You try to excuse my comment by implying I am some drunken keyboard lout. If that makes it easier for you to explain away out of hand my comment,by all means suck it up.
ReplyDeleteI made the comment with deliberate intention. If john is willing to be insensitive to the feelings of others with the content of his blog, i felt it neccessary to let him know the amount of insult and baiting present in his article. Although my method of conveying this was brutal, it was no less brutal than Johns delivery and content.
I doubt you would get employment as a profiler Bert as you are wide of the mark as to my background. Everyone has opininions and should be allowed to express them in some sphere. It is the intellectual bully that suppresses the not so articulate person and this often results in actions doing the talking.
Please Robert dont dismiss people like this, Far to many dismiss them as non thinkers, thus creating frustration. One of the reasons we have and had conflict was that those that thought they knew better did nt and dont listen.
Jeanne
ReplyDeletethe degree of vitirol in your comments is bound to produce heated exchange. I personally disagree with you on every point bar your critiicism of the oppressive nature of institutionalised religion. Your understanding of Irish Republicanism is deeply flawed even with your vaunted knowledge of history. Like all amature historians you interpret the information to suit your own arguments.
All the terrible deeds you ascribe to republicans are present to a far greater degree in the shameful experience of British colonialism. Over the centuries, British policy in Ireland has produce human suffering on a scale equal to anywhere else in the world. The kings and queens of England who you so adore inficted massive cruelity and hardship upon the Irish people. During the great hunger landlordism and a policy of willful neglect saw over 1.000.000 Irish peasants die of starvation.
Atfer each attempt at rebellion British reprisals were often sever and wholesale. A policy of collective punishment gave rise to further grivances that would feed the desire for revenge. Often the cycle of violence created bitter sectarian conflict between catholics and protestants primarily over the land. This antagonism had its roots in the policy of plantation which robbed the Irish of their ancestoral homes creating a fundmental contradiction the effects of which are still present today.
Sectarianism is the product of colonial policy in Ireland.
Jeanne; are you the same Jeanne who's written a Wikipedia page about herself under Jeanne Boleyn? (probably after Anne)
ReplyDeleteWho does that?? Why do you feel the need to validate your existence by doing this? Where do you even find the time - does real life not get in the way now and again?
Some of the subject headings in wiki are; famous people who've insulted me, television appearances I've made, things I've edited (which I'm assuming is about a hundred or so wiki pages you've voluntary taken upon yourself to correct) I'm in with the in-crowd and..Wait for it .... Sexiest come on lines!!
Who cares?
You are definitely having a giraffe.
I take back what I said about you being a Wa Wa. You're definitely not one of them, you're an egomaniacal nutjob with a more than a touch of OCD.
Belfast Bookworm,
ReplyDeletebelieve me you don't know how close you are.
So Anthony and BB do we take it that Jeanne is really a bin lid?
ReplyDeletePar for the course, you ask for opinions and then launch snarling and spitting insults when my answers fail to please you. Let me just say that my first husband was a Dubliner from a staunch Fianna Fail family. His great-uncle was a former Att. Gen. of Ireland who prosecuted Neil Blaney during the Arms Crisis. Marty, I honestly thought when you asked about Brina Boru that you were referring to Brian Boru Street in Conquer Hill. Let me just close with the statement that all history is full of bloodshed, wars, betrayal, famines and persuctions. Every population in every nation at some stage suffered. The Irish need to stop blaming the Brits for everything. No government anywhere in the world have pristine hands. And I think we all agree that Abramic religions have largely been the cause of much suffering. I don't wish to diminish anybody's pain or loss. I was in London the day the IRA exploded a bomb. Several people died, I did not, but I could have fallen victim and I was frightened. That was a cruel thing to have inflicted such terror on me and indeed anytime I went to London and the IRA wanted to harm innocent strangers. I live in Sicily where revenge is commonplace but the IRA mainly killed people they didn't even know. It was wrong. Very wrong.
ReplyDeleteMarty,
ReplyDeletewhy in the world would you think that?!!
We get them here every now and then. Then they move on.
Jeanne,
ReplyDeleteNo problem, no rush on the answers to the questions there is a lot there to get through. I will listen and debate with you. My first role model outside of my family was santa claus, then I learned the bitter truth, he was not real only figure myth, I accepted as fact via various sociolisation outlets but at the time he seemed to me to be a good man especially around xmas. Then, I realises what consumer led xmas is all about, and it wasnt a lot to do with jesus christ. I was young, naive, it was after then I suppose through being surrounded for years at half truths, superficial people and down right lies I developed a need for the truth and real honesty as the offical line presented to me simply didnt cut it anymore. This is why, I intend to listen, learn and experience differing points of view, no matter how much it goes against my understanding and social conscious. Debate your way through, sometimes the audience may be a "tough crowd". The truth normally brings about isolation in some form. For example, if I went onto a loyalist site and said I was a republican, I can only assume that I would be pigeon holed with the provisional movement. Or as a dissent republican, I am military minded, in which I am not, not because I am a recornation of ghandi or a percieved coward. I simply do not beleive there is anything to be gained from a military approch to the term "united Ireland". Republicans need to ask themselves what sort of united Ireland they want, Brits out, but the system to remain the same. WTF. Not for me. There is a lot to learn. Today my role models are james connolly and fidel castro.
Jeanne: no government has pristine hands.
ReplyDeleteThe award for understatement of the year goes to you. Add that to your Wikipedia accolades.
You are right that history is full of bloodshed, wars and famine. Imperialist colonisers; Germany, France, holland, America, Spain, Belgium, Portugal and of course Britain, causing them all.
Had Madame Britannia not have dug her filthy greedy claws into Ireland there would never have been a need for the IRA that you so detest, no need for the London bomb you were caught up in.
What part of this dont you get? You regard yourself as some sort of history buff, about time you got it right and stop making an ignorant ass of yourself over the Internet.
Bookworm....
ReplyDeleteThat's a great word 'egomaniacal'..
@AM.... I was away for two days and never saw a computer once - no bad thing.
Unless you're streaming footy with a good friend and a glass (several) of wine..But getting away from a PC every now and then...I'll second that.
@Tain Bo
He doesn't answer anywhere..But I reckon he reads the replies.
Itsjustmacker,
ReplyDeleteyou are right. There is no point in curbing discussion. We take all manner of opinion even hate filled rants that have appeared in some comments lately.
John Coulter is not going to worry in the slightest about the flak he is getting, This piece has been so widely read he has got what he needs out of it.
"...the rest of you including Mackers, Marty and Alfie Gallagher, are merely Fenian fascist idealogues."
ReplyDeleteWait a minute, is that you, Pierce Martin? Don't tell me you've had a sex change!!!
Great minds think alike Alfie, the key word here being think. Hmm, might be a good idea for you to try that somtime. As for Belfast Bookworm, he's a classic whinging loser. If he was living on a balmy tropical island receiving daily blowjobs from a bevy of toothless pinchpricks he'd still claim to be a downtrodden, second-class citizen. And as for the British Army occupying Northern Ireland, well seeing as it was part of the UK, who else would have been sent in to help the RUC, the Thai Army mayhap. It's funny the PIRA was meant to kick the Brits out and instead they wound up taking orders from another Brit, the former RAF member John Stephenson.
ReplyDeleteFeel te Love,
ReplyDelete'Your attempts at critisism of my post is pathetic,the age old tactic of mudslinging.'
Being pathetically true as opposed to being falsely true is a state that arouses no sense of discomfort. The mud that you see slung comes from sloshing about in the latrine. I have simply shone a torch in and illuminated your form, immersed in the contents.
'I doubt you would get employment as a profiler Bert as you are wide of the mark as to my background.'
One does not require an interest for the field or a grounding in psychology in order to draw accurate conclusions. No need here for complex investigative analysis. Observation and experience were suffice in calling your number correctly.
My observation was, despite the kill the dog and skin the cat type rhetoric, that your rebellion is voyeuristic rather than violent. You derive pleasure from the actions of others. It is a universal trait that characterises the bar room freedom fighter wherever one is unfortunate enough to encounter him.
Jeanne; ' As for Belfast Bookworm, he's a classic whinging loser. If he was living on a balmy tropical island receiving daily blowjobs from a bevy of toothless pinchpricks he'd still claim to be a downtrodden, second-class citizen.'
ReplyDeleteIf this wasn't so crude it would be funny but then I wouldn't have expected anything less from you.
Why have you assumed I'm male? I thought you were a feminist? You say you are on your Wikipedia pages but here I find you thinking like a man.
I'm a woman, you fool.
Belfast Bookworm,
ReplyDeleteunfortunately the person is an obsessive stalker. We know the history here. I think you sensed this in an earlier comment. There is nothing you can do to help her. Ignore it and it will pass on to fresh prey.
People who think they know history from sanctioned books and textbooks and mainstream media do my nut in. Their only skill appears to be the skill of remembering names and dates and they roll these off like theyre an authority on their chosen subject matter.
ReplyDeleteId hazard a guess and say that in every single instance, said history buffs have neither the wit nor intelligence to scratch beneath the surface and find out who is telling the story, what their agenda is and who's funding it.
People like this only impress those who know absolutely nothing.
@ Jeanne Giffin I am glad i grew up sucking on ‘the withered teat of Irish Catholic Nationalism’ rather than the pusfilled, gorged teat of a Masonic goat. Leave the decimating of Catholicism to us EX Catholics thank you. RE ‘Nobody was spared from the fury of the IRA and INLA. They massacred men, women, children, babies in prams, soldiers, policemen, teenage students, barmen,’
ReplyDeleteHint - And what were the native Irish people spared from? Who fostered division and who is the master of genocide? Who fostered the troubles? And then who called out what an aBOMBaNation it was? REDhot clue in there!
How much hate can you pack into your words... your hate propaganda blew a gasket before too long... leaving you exposed for what you are. A cretin.
@ John Coulter There is nothing so charming (NOT) as a non native Irishman preaching liberty using the name of Christ and seeking to educate us indigenous peasants of the way forward... It seems to be the hallmark of your people.
ReplyDeleteRE: ‘National Republicanism will also re-introduce the death penalty for the murder of police officers, whether on or off duty.’
You r a real hard man now are you not? This is just ridiculous and serves no other purpose than seek to elicit ragefilled responses. Whilst i personally do not applaud militant resistance nor support it you would do well to understand why it is still around.
RE ‘Ireland has sent hundreds of Christian missionaries across the globe, especially to China, India and Brazil – three of the fastest growing economies in the world. That missionary link could be developed to create a new Celtic Tiger as Ireland cements relations with nations where its Christian missionaries worked – and still evangelize.’
GoodO! Let’s profit off Jesus again – your version = the big, anglo saxon genocidal token Jesus has done enough damage. Ka Ching! What will you sell – little Jesus statues swathed in a union jack evilly grinning with shamrocks wedged in their teeth? Holy water blessed by the Queen? Vials of blood of our martyrs to serve as a warning?
RE 'Ireland would no longer be a neutral nation, but would play a full part within NATO, as well as developing its own nuclear industry, both in weaponry and power. Given its geographical location, National Republicanism would seek to offer the island as major bases for nuclear super powers such as the United States and Russia. Fleets of ships and submarines as well as squadrons of aircraft could be stationed and serviced at Irish ports in return for substantial inward investment for Ireland.’
Hahaha Hard to believe an educated man like yerself could write such drivel. You haven’t inadvertently eaten some shrooms have you John whilst tapping out your National Republicanism theory? Trippy very trippy..I doubt you are a bonafide Christian believer more like a tripped out Masonic bumboy for that jolly band of pointyheads in England.