Not that it is a problem for the good folk of the bourgeoisie who will be in attendance at the 153rd Open Championship Golf Tournament at Portrush in the occupied Six-Counties. This is an event when the normally boringly attired middle-classes dress up in regalia which would not be out of place in a ‘Rupert the Bear’ children’s comic and cartoon. In fact one pair of trousers worn by these golfing buffs are actually called ‘Rupert Trousers.’ These were once popular among the working-class youth during the nineteen-seventies but once the bourgeoisie hijacked them for golf the prices rocketed. Another set of legwear are named ‘Clown Trousers’ and both look very trendy for the lovers of the Four Iron, Woods, and Drivers. Many traditionalists may ignore the fashion and will stick to the ridiculous looking ‘Plus Fours’, a pair of trousers (I think) which above the knee has a bulge extending outwards similar to those worn by SS Officers in the German Third Reich. The 153rd Open Championship advertises accommodation ranging from a starting week price of £1,399 which is the very basic probably afforded by those who have not quite reached the position at work of having their own office, though highly likely they may have the key to the management’s toilet! These people may be permitted to be ‘Caddies’ for ‘Sir’ on one of the ‘Tee-Times’ amateur courses open to those who have booked and away, for a short time, from watching the likes of Padraig Harrington, Tiger Woods, Shane Lowry, Rory McIlroy, and other high flyers of the sport.
The main issue here is, given the housing crisis in the Six-Counties, why these houses offered at extortionate prices and are left vacant for much of the year, why they cannot be used to provide accommodation for those seeking a roof over their heads? I watched and listened to a report for BBC1 “Northern Ireland” ‘Sunday Politics’ by Maria McCann on these properties being rented out for the week of the Golf Championship. I could not believe what I was watching and listening to. One woman who wished not to be named or have her face shown due to her job and, no doubt fear of losing it, said; “Tenants are asked to vacate their homes for the week so tourists, I think related to the golf, can be accommodated”. I could not believe my ears: does this mean somebody, a family, can be legally thrown out of their homes for the duration of this golfing pantomime and have no rights to say no? As they are moving into some temporary accommodation, a family friend if they are lucky, the bourgeois golf enthusiasts are moving in, probably affording a condescending smile if they happen to pass the hapless real tenants being evicted, for their golfing holiday? That is the picture I was getting! Imagine being waiting for a home for some years and when you finally get one you are told in no uncertain terms by your landlord:
The main issue here is, given the housing crisis in the Six-Counties, why these houses offered at extortionate prices and are left vacant for much of the year, why they cannot be used to provide accommodation for those seeking a roof over their heads? I watched and listened to a report for BBC1 “Northern Ireland” ‘Sunday Politics’ by Maria McCann on these properties being rented out for the week of the Golf Championship. I could not believe what I was watching and listening to. One woman who wished not to be named or have her face shown due to her job and, no doubt fear of losing it, said; “Tenants are asked to vacate their homes for the week so tourists, I think related to the golf, can be accommodated”. I could not believe my ears: does this mean somebody, a family, can be legally thrown out of their homes for the duration of this golfing pantomime and have no rights to say no? As they are moving into some temporary accommodation, a family friend if they are lucky, the bourgeois golf enthusiasts are moving in, probably affording a condescending smile if they happen to pass the hapless real tenants being evicted, for their golfing holiday? That is the picture I was getting! Imagine being waiting for a home for some years and when you finally get one you are told in no uncertain terms by your landlord:
time to move out for a week, don’t care where you go but just go, because I can charge these golfing tourists a small fortune which I am not allowed by law to charge you for rent.
Communities Minister in the Stormont Assembly – with about the power of Greater Manchester Council but they like to call themselves a government which is a joke – Gordon Lyons said regarding the situation surrounding homelessness and those seeking to buy their first home; “I am willing to consider all the options and it is important we look at everything first before we make any decisions”. He was not questioned about the obscenities of properties laid idle for much of the time then rented out for tens of thousands of pounds for a week to the wealthy golfing fraternity.
It is true areas of the north coast like Portrush are picturesque places to live and that Golf has brought in much revenue but at what price the ordinary people? John Manley, Political Correspondent for the Irish News said:
It is true areas of the north coast like Portrush are picturesque places to live and that Golf has brought in much revenue but at what price the ordinary people? John Manley, Political Correspondent for the Irish News said:
the north coast is a victim of its own success and we heard Gordon Lyons who acknowledged there is a need to deal with the situation but there was a lack of urgency in his approach.
That is an understatement John, though you were on TV and language restrictions I understand apply. From where I was sitting Gordon Lyons could care about as much for solving or even addressing the housing situation as I have of intending to cross the Grand Canyon on a highwire! The fact that a few people can own such properties, leave vacant for much of the year, charge rents to those who can afford and then even these are not safe because when the golfing tournament comes to town they are booted out for the duration of said tournament thus allowing golf enthusiasts a week’s accommodation. By any stretch of the imagination this must be wrong, not only within the perimeters of capitalism, though it is very much a symptom of that economic system, but the Stormont Assembly consists of people who are critical of capitalism and would, for some reason best known to themselves, call their position socialist. I have not heard one word of criticism about this kicking tenants out so golfing nerds can have some fun for a week from the “Government of Northern Ireland” as they call themselves!
There can be no doubt the northern coast of Ireland is, like many other areas of the island, very picturesque and a nice place to live. The Sunday Politics programme certainly highlighted ‘the question of home ownership with half the properties in places like Ballycastle lying empty for half of the year by their owners’. Manley added “people who grew on the north coast will never have a home of their own”. This is, under the present system, perfectly true but more important for me is these homes are empty while people, prepared to pay rent, if not buy, are denied this right. Perfectly good houses just laid bare while folk have nowhere to live, a fucking disgrace. If Stormont is, as they claim they are, a government even of sorts surely this situation of golf before homes, demands urgent attention by those in so-called power and addressing quick.
In the Twenty-Six-Counties we have an equally bad housing crisis. Couples are waiting to buy their first home, or at least get a mortgage in which case the building society or mortgage company own the property until such time as the borrowers can pay off the mortgage, usually by the time they reach old age. Thousands of homeless people are trying to rent and for various curable reasons they, like those seeking a mortgage, cannot get a roof over their heads. One preventable reason is small availability of housing stocks which are low due to construction of houses have not met year on year protracted figures. The state must begin a building programme and forget about the private sector and the programme should be nationwide. One annoyance for those seeking housing in the Twenty-Six-Counties they do not have to witness middle-class golfing nerds renting houses which should be reserved for them. There are plenty of other empty buildings, disused shops, empty office blocks all of which could be fitted out as dwellings for rent. Such a building programme undertaken by the state, not the private sector, would provide shopfitters, electricians, carpenters, plasterers, and labourers employment. Tell the private owners of the buildings they have two months to utilise the properties or they will be taken into state ownership by compulsory Order, no purchase, just an Order of the State. Large budgets should be put aside for local authorities to carry out the refurbishments by the government in the Dail.
There can be no doubt the northern coast of Ireland is, like many other areas of the island, very picturesque and a nice place to live. The Sunday Politics programme certainly highlighted ‘the question of home ownership with half the properties in places like Ballycastle lying empty for half of the year by their owners’. Manley added “people who grew on the north coast will never have a home of their own”. This is, under the present system, perfectly true but more important for me is these homes are empty while people, prepared to pay rent, if not buy, are denied this right. Perfectly good houses just laid bare while folk have nowhere to live, a fucking disgrace. If Stormont is, as they claim they are, a government even of sorts surely this situation of golf before homes, demands urgent attention by those in so-called power and addressing quick.
In the Twenty-Six-Counties we have an equally bad housing crisis. Couples are waiting to buy their first home, or at least get a mortgage in which case the building society or mortgage company own the property until such time as the borrowers can pay off the mortgage, usually by the time they reach old age. Thousands of homeless people are trying to rent and for various curable reasons they, like those seeking a mortgage, cannot get a roof over their heads. One preventable reason is small availability of housing stocks which are low due to construction of houses have not met year on year protracted figures. The state must begin a building programme and forget about the private sector and the programme should be nationwide. One annoyance for those seeking housing in the Twenty-Six-Counties they do not have to witness middle-class golfing nerds renting houses which should be reserved for them. There are plenty of other empty buildings, disused shops, empty office blocks all of which could be fitted out as dwellings for rent. Such a building programme undertaken by the state, not the private sector, would provide shopfitters, electricians, carpenters, plasterers, and labourers employment. Tell the private owners of the buildings they have two months to utilise the properties or they will be taken into state ownership by compulsory Order, no purchase, just an Order of the State. Large budgets should be put aside for local authorities to carry out the refurbishments by the government in the Dail.
The housing crisis is an all-Ireland problem from the coast on the North of Ireland to the streets of Dublin, Limerick, Galway, Cork and many other cities and towns. Both administrations must act and act quickly starting right now or the shallow arguments of the far-right will gather more and more traction. Lack of housing is one of the fascists' arguments which, shallow as they are, sound feasible to the mass of people. Instead of blaming the true cause of homelessness the far-right blame immigration which, with a cursory glance, will be seen is no cause at all, just scapegoating thus moving blame away from the ruling-classes and their political representatives.
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| Caoimhin O’Muraile is Independent Socialist Republican and Marxist. |
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