Wednesday, October 24, 2007

In some ways it is a pity the 'London Times' newspaper isn't more widely read in Ireland . The issue of December 9 , 1957 , for example , makes interesting reading : that Imperial organ set us straight on partition and Irish independence , and should be made required reading for the front-benchers of Fianna Fail and Fine Gael:

" It's (ie the Six Occupied Counties) resolution to remain under the Crown and to keep the Union Jack flying has not swerved . The second problem is the perennial one of keeping the peace. The Free State , now a republic ('1169..' Comment - ... a banana republic, only..) came into being because a minority of Irishmen felt so strongly that they were prepared to fight . ('1169..' Comment - shame on that 'minority' , to be sure . Didn't they know that the Empire had troublesome natives in other colonies to be dealing with ? No damn consideration , what !)

The men ('1169...' Comment - ...and women!) who fought were hailed as heroes and martyrs . This is understandable enough as a common accompaniment of militant patriotism but , as always happens in such cases , it proved easier to encourage young men to use the gun than to persuade them that the time for doing so was past . The Northern Ireland Government (sic- a puppet administration , guided by Westminster) has to-day perpetually to be on its guard against murderous raids carried out by gangsters who see themselves as patriots following in the footsteps of heroic fathers....... " (MORE LATER).

ECONOMY IN CRISIS - An Historical Perspective.......

By any standards the economy of Ireland , North and South , can be described as being in a sorry mess with crisis , recession and imminent bankruptcy the most constant themes of economic discussion , intermittently over the last decade and ceaselessly in the last three years . In this article , Peter Graham surveys the factors which have produced this economy , and the historical role of foreign and native Irish capital.

From 'IRIS' magazine , November 1982.

The future , then , for Ireland , economically and socially , depends not on more attempts to rescue or prop up the capitalist system , which has proved impotent , but on replacing it totally .

The inextricably malignant influence of Britain's interference remains as relevant as it ever was , economically , in Ireland , but at the same time the native capitalist malignancy has been developing within . Both must be destroyed .

Son of Dr Robert Emmet and Elizabeth Mason, with the father serving as state physician to the vice-regal household : however , the good doctor wasc a social reformer who believed that in order to achieve the emancipation of the Irish people it was first necessary to break the link with England .

Born into this household on March 4th , 1778 , Robert Emmet was baptised on March 10th in St Peter's Church of Ireland in Aungier Street , Dublin . The young Robert attended Oswald's School in Dropping Court , off Golden Lane , Dublin . From there he went to Samuel Whytes School in Grafton Street , quite near his home , and later to the school of the Reverend Mr Lewis in Camden Street .