What Celtic Tiger?
A chairde,
Some might say that the Celtic Tiger economy is great, ask these
families. They all live on the Northside of Dublin.
Case A. An 8 year old boy with Downs Syndrome was refused entry
to his local national school despite the fact that he integrated
well in junior school. A catholic priest and the board of
management took this decision. They blatantly broke the law and
the Department of Education and Science left the family on their
own. Archbishops' House was also informed.
Case B. Autisic male adult 18 years old. He is extremely
difficult for mother and disruptive at times. There is no place
for him at the moment.
Case C. An 8 year old girl with Dispraxia (Major Speech
Disability) has no place for September 1998. Her parents had to
take the Department to court. This case is before the courts at
the moment.
Case D. A 22 year old blind woman with Downs Syndrome is still on
a waiting list. There is no place yet for her despite numerous
submissions.
Residential Waiting Lists: 1,439 people with a mental handicap
Day Care Places: 1,039 people with a mental handicap
These figures and cases speak for themselves.
Parents For Integration (PFI) represent 500 families of children
with disabilites. Phone 8378028
Finian McGrath
Press Officer (PFI)
Omagh bombing
A chairde,
May I add my voice to your newspaper's criticism of the group
behind the terrible act committed in Omagh. Like many people, I
still feel a sense of shock.
You published a letter of mine a week earlier in which I
criticised the authorities for the unavailability of witnesses
regarding the Bloody Sunday Tribunal into the deaths of fourteen
people in Derry. Years of work by many groups have won a new
Tribunal only to find the MOD now bound by the Data Protection
Act regarding ex-employees.
For a group of Irish people to have exploded the bomb in Omagh
killing twenty eight people and injuring two hundred is not only
a indescribable tragedy for those involved but it is, in my view,
worse than what occurred on Bloody Sunday.
Omagh was a terrible act of violence which undermines the
achievements of the peace process as well as the work of Rights
groups. As a civil rights worker I admit an interest in this
area.
The Good Friday Agreement is the surely the best way to ensure
everyone respects each other's civil rights and lives in peace
with one another.
John Cleary.
Avon
Hysteria versus truth
A chairde,
I note the efforts to find a paradigm to fit the Omagh tragedy in
the recent pages of An Phoblacht and would wish to critically
comment.
In contrast to Eoghan Mac Cormaic, I am prepared to believe in a
horrible, shocking, military blunder as I have when IRA claims to
such have been made in similar circumstances. Where life is
concerned the enormity is irrelevant, one life, one injury, one
trauma, one loss is of ultimate significance to its possessor,
its family, its community, its nation.
From dozens of conversations with people of all opinions and
none, their conclusions are much the same as mine, the
possibility of a mistake. Together, we add to the list of abusive
nouns and adjectives, every violent expression that comes from
so-called political leaders in government and elsewhere - abuse
that fosters hysteria and encourages trial by media and public
opinion which those in Sinn Féin already know too well with the
saddest results.
I expect Sinn Fein to be true to its concern for human rights at
this time and to stand up for and by those affected. Human rights
are universal and are not to be the victim of political
circumstances and alliances.
The ventured theory of militarism is retroactive - trying to
explain what has been happening to the ``physical force
tradition''. I believe its proponents should acknowledge the
strength of expectations on its movement - from initial
individual approaches by members of the public, albeit in a
confidential manner, who compelled the new thinking now acceded
to by the IRA. The IRA was slowly led to conviction - enough at
least to call a ceasefire but not, evidently, to declare an end
to war and/or to hand in its weapons.
Indeed, the Sinn Fein leadership insists on a new interpretation
of ``war'' to mean an end to injustice and inequailty. This is
another shifting paradigm to interpret a common usage of ``war''.
Sinn Fein has to examine its own propensity for shifting
paradigms to help bring the public on board with its thinking.
Republican splinter groups create and hold on in similar ways to
their respective rationales. The public is looking on quite
critically. The public has become a potent factor this time
round. Indeed it has been in the frame all along; from now on, it
might just be strong enough to keep ceasefires in place. Armed
struggle in this period of Irish history is out of fashion.
d yet, change needs a growing activist public to pursue
nationalist justice - it will not attract this with the word
``peace''. There is a whole content of justice that is
identifiable, verifiable, measurable. Bring this to the public
for discernment and response - do it quickly because there is a
rapid disaffection from republican ideals (for example, only 55%
of the Republic's population thought it important enough to vote
on the constitutional issue).
For republicans, principles rather than paradigms are of utmost
importance. Strategies have to be designed and activated to
attract the public rather than operate in ``closed shops'' that
come across as exclusionist, fear-filled. There has to be a
sure-footedness in a sceptical, comfortable, weakly motivated,
carelessly political population that finds it easier to give in to
hysteria rather than to truth.
MM McCarron
Dublin to welcome pikemen and women
A chairde,
The highlight of the many commemorations of the Rising of 1798
held throughout the country this year has been the appearance of
contingents of pikemen and women, marching with dignity and
discipline in honour of those who died fighting for the ideals of
the United Irishmen.
Wherever they have marched, the pikemen and women have drawn
admiration and applause, not just for their magnificent bearing
but also because they represented the people themselves, just
like their ancestors who went out with pike in hand in 1798.
So far, numerous counties have seen such marching contingents but
Dublin, the capital city, has not yet had an opportunity to
applaud the marching pike carriers. Dublin was the cradle of the
United Irishmen and it was planned that the Rising should start
there. Thus, it would be fitting if the capital city could now
honour the men and women of `98 by having a mighty March of
Rememberence through its streets.
The Dublin 1798 Commemoration Committee, of which I have the
honour of being Chairman, extends an invitation to all pikemen
and pikewomen to take part in this Grand Finale to the year of
commemoration.
Details of the march are as follows:
Date: Saturday 10 October 1998
Time: Assemble at Parnell Square at 2pm. March to start at 3pm.
Route: From Parnell Square, down through O'Connell St, through
College Green, up Dame St, past Christ Church, into Thomas St,
past St. Catherine's Church, down to the South Quays and across
the Liffey to Croppies' Acre (where a wreath-laying ceremony will
take place) back along the North Quays, into O'Connell St and
ending at Parnell Square.
Total length of march: about 4 miles.
Along the route groups of pikemen will stand as Guards of Honour
at special points, such as the GPO, the Old Parliament House at
College Green, City Hall, Tailors' Hall, St Catherine's Church
and Croppies' Acre. As the march proceeds these Guards of Honour
will join the marching contingents. Pikes will be lowered at the
GPO and at other places along the route (details later). It is
hoped to provide refreshments after the march.
It is hoped that every contingent in the country will take part.
I would ask you to let us know as soon as possible if your
contingent can take part and how many can participate. This is
Ireland's opportunity to show the capital that rural Ireland
remembers `98. Bí linn.
Richard Roche
Chairman, Dublin `98
Tel/fax 01 833 7822
Protest against Clinton
A chairde,
Is Ireland really going to partake in the degrading experience of
extending a Céad Mile Fáilte to an international terrorist?
How are we meant to stomach watching President Clinton console
the victims and relatives of the Omagh bombing when just recently
in an act of legalised terrorism he unleashed Cruise missiles on
Sudan and alleged terrorist camps in Afghanistan?
other purpose of Mr Clinton's visit is to strengthen trading
links between Ireland and the US which is alarming. The US trade
delegation which visited Ireland in June led by Commerce
Secretary Richard Dally, included executives from some of the
leading arms manufacturing companies.
The media embargo on this kind of information is disgraceful and
unacceptable. Considering we are seeking to achieve an end to
armed conflict in our country, it is shocking that America is
confident it can establish more arms factories in the north and
border counties and involve Ireland in exporting even more
military goods.
The arms trade helps cause the equivalent of several Omaghs on a
daily basis in Colombia, East Timor, Nigeria and the Democratic
Republic of the Congo, amongst other Third World countries.
Because of the appalling censorship in the national press, we
have not been informed exactly what is the Electronics Agreement
that he is signing with Gateway 2000 Ireland this weekend in
Swords, Co Dublin. What exactly are we agreeing to?
The deafening silence from the government on this issue and their
typically hypocritical psychophantic response to the Omagh
bombing is enough for the ordinary Irish person to want to
dissociate themselves from our elected representatives.
The daily disappearances, tortures and deaths in Mexico and
Colombia fuelled by US dollars is never written about, but the
ridiculous details of his unsatisfying sex life are No.1 interest
with the media.
Even more worrying is his involvement with the Nuclear Submarine
Base in Scotland - one hour across the water from the north of
Ireland. At his say, these bombs can be fired, as Tony Blair
backs him 100%.
It's time for us to gain respect for Ireland, and say No Welcome
Here. We owe it to ourselves and in solidarity with other
oppressed countries.
Mary Kelly
Colombia Radical Action Campaign
Burtonport
Co. Donegal
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