A wall which bears an IRA slogan was
seen recently in the former Czechoslovakia, the state which
commerciallly manufactured Semtex, an explosive more talked about
by unionist politicians now than when it was deployed in IRA bomb
attacks.
Czechslovakia has been dismantled as a state and replaced by the
Czech Republic and Slovakia. The factory which made Semtex is
closed. The IRA has been involved in a cessation of armed
activity for over a year. But as the world moves on you can
always count on the unionists to stay stuck in their own peculiar
time-warp.
d staying on the subject of Semtex an article in Saturday's
Guardian newspaper entitled Unkown Soldiers quoted a 95-year-old
veteran of the Tan War Jack O'Riordan as follows: ``I'd say the
Provisional IRA were the best fighting men Ireland ever had.
Semtex put them where they are at the moment, and that's a great
negotiator. The peace will hold for that reason. And I'm all for
the peace now.''
When Caoimhghín O Caoláin opened his speech at last week's TCD
debate in Irish one of a small group of students
who giggled uncomfortably heckled ``Speak English, you're in
Ireland now!''
``The last time that was said to me I was also in this country and
the speaker was Michael Mates MP'' replied Caoimhghín, referring
to the time Mates tried to shout down Irish at the British-Irish
Inter-Parliamentary Body in Cavan. The irony of it all was
seemingly lost on the Trinity heckler. In the building where last
week's debate was held hangs a huge protrait of Trinity graduate
and founder of Conradh na Gaeilge Dúbhglas de hIde.
d staying with anti-Irish language sneerers, during the
Assembly debate on Irish, Bob McCartney maintained that he didn't
mind what language speakers used, ``be it Swahili or Irish'', but
he was ``amazed at Sinn Fein's dogged pursuit of the issue when
85% of Republican News was in English''.
So to encourage an avid reader like Bob to learn a wee bit of
Gaeilge or vote in favour of translation equipment: ``Ta brón
orainn faoi an píosa droc scéil a fuair tú ón Cruiser''.
Fianna Fáil is blaming the broadcasting of a radio interview with
its candidate Sinéad Behan for her failure to win the Cork South
Central by-election.
The interview took the form of a quick-fire quiz. Pat Kenny
mistakenly ran her tape on RTE radio.
The following is the list of questions Sinéad was asked and her
answers.
1. Who was the first person to hold a seat in Cork South
Central? (answer) ``Don't know''
2. Who was the last Ceann Comhairle? (answer) ``Don't know''.
3. How many unemployed are there in Cork City? (answer) ``Don't
know''.
4. How many joyriders have been killed in Cork this year
(answer) ``Fourteen''. (Correct answer) Four.
5. What paramilitary organisation has not declared a ceasefire?
``Don't know''
6. What is a T.D.s Salary? (answer) £34,000.
The last question was the only one which the prospective TD
aswered correctly, which just about demonstrates where the
priorities of establishment politicinas lie. To be fair on Sinéad
it is doubtful whether the Fine Gael or Progressive Democrat
candidates would have fared any better.
![[An Phoblacht]](http://republican-news.org/graphics/title_gifs/aprn.gif)