Unionism, Orangeism and 1798
rear their heads amid ceoil, craic
and Fleadh Babies.
Mick Naughton gets well and truly caught up in the North Belfast
festivities
It all began last Friday night... Well, that's what Bik told me
this week as the various Belfast fleadhs continued at a hectic
pace. Bik, by the way, was not playing or singing any of his or
Bobby Sands's compositions, and he was definitely not buying big
buckets of slack (that's pints of creamy porter to you more sober
amadans). The man has forgotten nothing over 22 years of not
buying the stuff!
The music was great in Molly Maguire's, over in the New Lodge,
with musicans travelling the length and breadth of this fair land
to be there. An accordion player from South Armagh by the name of
Martin drove from outside Dublin to get there for eight bells.
Another flute player came from somewhere in Mayo joining about 30
others in two cracking sessions in the same room.
All these came to see the war zone now that things are a wee bit
quieter. The following day's Crossroads Ceili also saw a ceili
ensemble drive from Dunleer, proving that that town does not just
consist of a by-pass. That's what was needed, though, by some
unfit types after the Waves of Tory and the Siege of Ennis was
completed. These musicans were well rewarded for coming up - no
fool, not with money, this was in north Belfast - but rather the
sight of Turlough O'Neill and Sean Fleming telling two jeep loads
of 3rd Batt Brit Paratroopers to turn away from the dancers.
Imagine! Their cheek. Trying to enter the real third Batt area
during a fleadh, never mind a cessation.
But it's not all lightness and music, despite The Bullet romping
home again in the annual Ardoyne Grand Prix. The only West
Belfast challenger crashed spectacularly at the `gap' in Brompton
Park, much to the delight of the thousands of `northerners'.
Amusement was also in evidence as Andytown News veteran Basil
McLaughlin, whose paper had gallantly sponsored the event, tried
to photograph the winning guider without getting in the Irish
News stickers plastered all over it. OK, Basil, you know who to
sponser next year and we'll not mention who is the brains behind
this winning craft either.
So it was to back to sobreity for the debate everyone was waiting
for on Monday night. `What `98 means to me'' was chaired in the
`Star' Neighbour Centre by well known trade union organiser
Patricia McKeown. On the panel was former UVF prisoner Billy
Mitchell, now a PUP member, Peter Collins, the Mary Ann McCracken
Cultural Traditions Fellow (why didn't a women get that plum?),
Inez McCormick, campaigner for womens rights and senior trade
union organiser of Unison, Sam Porter, local historian and Mark
Langhammer, Northern Ireland Labour Party councillor in
Newtownabbey. There were also three Shinner councillors, Danny
Lavery, Mick Conlon and Paddy McManus, for a change taking a back
seat in their own sanctum.
What followed was very interesting and revealing about the debate
that is going on among some pro-unionists. Billy Mitchell was
politely received, especially by the children of some UVF victims
in the crowd. What was painstakingly drawn out over the next
couple of hours was that some unionists would like to describe
themselves as republicans. Not RTP's, but something along the
road.
Confused? Well it goes like this and remember, this is in the
context of the founding principles of the United Irish rebellion,
`Equality, Liberty and Fraternity...and this is a summary of a
lengthy quote:
``I am a unionist, but don't want to be a subject. I want to be an
equal citizen, as subjects are not held equal in a monarchy,
which demands unequal status of its subjects. Therefore how can I
ask to be in a union which is a government headed by an unequal
monarch?''
Some of what 98 meant exposed that contradiction and was well
worth the effort of the organisers. An insight of what is to
come? Let's hope so and imagine what those in the loyalist and
unionist communities will have to radically examine when sitting
down with republicans on 15 September.
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