Missing milestones
Milestones in Irish History
Edited by Liam De Paor
Published by Mercier Press
Price £7.99
This is a series of essays originally broadcast on RTE Radio in
1993 and should more appropriately be titled ``Milestones in the
twenty six counties' history.'' Events such as the1798 revolution
and the conflict in the north over the past thirty years are
mentioned only in passing.
However, it would be wrong to imply that this book is completely
without merit. `Brian Boru and the Battle of Clontarf' by
Donnchadh O Corrain and `The Norman Invasion' by Michael Richter
are incisive and well written pieces.
Unfortunately these essays are followed by `The Flight of the
Earls' by Margaret McCurtain. The scurrying off in the dead of
night by the ``great'' Hugh O'Neill and Rory O'Donnell is
romanticised to the hilt.
McCurtain asserts that this act of desertion, while a ``great
misfortune'' for the people of Ulster, heralded the ``beginning of
one of the most splendid pages of Irish history, that of the
Irish abroad.'' It is a curious mentality, indeed, which can
deduce any splendour from cowardice.
Other articles cover the EEC, the Irish language and the building
of the great tombs at Newgrange and elsewhere.
`Partition' by Ronan Fanning gives an insight into the thinking
of the British establishment in the first quarter of this
century, forever looking for a quick fix to ``the Irish problem''.
He concludes that British policy in Ireland has always been
dictated by an assessment of British national interest rather
than the harmony of Anglo-Irish relations, adding, ``So it has
always been. So it seems likely to remain.''
Although many of the contributions are detailed, the book is of
coffee table quality - with the exception of the Richter and O
Corrain missives.
by Sean O'Tuama
Where has all the equality gone?
Launch preview
Seeds of Hope
Garvaghy Road Women Writers Group
Price £5
Launch in Green Cross Art Shop, Falls Road, Belfast
Thursday 10 September at 12 noon
The 10 September book launch at the Green Cross Art Shop in
Belfast's Falls Road of poetry written by women from the Garvaghy
Road in Portadown is a story of triumph over adversity.
In June this year, the Dublin-based peace group, Seeds of Hope,
withdrew its commitment to support the venture. Despite support
for the project from the UDA centre and the EPIC centre on the
Shankhill Road, the peace group unexpectedly backed out, claiming
that the project was not sufficiently ``cross community''.
Subsequently over £900 remains unpaid to the printer.
Speaking to An Phoblacht, Philomena Gallagher, who led the
writers' group, said, ``we explained to Seeds of Hope the
importance of people telling the truth of their experience, no
matter how painful it is, as a way of the different communities
getting to know each other.''
Gallagher added that despite numerous pledges of financial
commitment the printer was contacted last week by the Dublin
group saying it had ``no legal obligation to pay and [had] issued
no authority to use the `Seeds of Hope' logo''.
The rejection of the book by Seeds of Hope points to another more
worrying trend. The move to censor any reference to the
institutionalised inequality and sectarianism that has been at
the root of conflict in the Six Counties indicates a deeper
failure to understand the different experience of Catholics and
Protestants. Without an honest appraisal of the pain, fear and
hurt expressed in the Garvaghy women's poetry, it is impossible
to recognise the inequality that has existed throughout the Six
Counties since its inception.
The Belfast launch is being supported by the Felons Club and
Black Mountain writers' groups, and despite the £5 cost of the
poetry book, An Phoblacht hopes that anyone interested will get
along to the launch to support the women from the Garvaghy Road.
Alternatively, copies are available from Garvaghy Road Women
Writers Group, Portadown, Co Armagh, BT62.
by Ned Kelly
![[An Phoblacht]](http://republican-news.org/graphics/title_gifs/aprn.gif)