Live Bigotry
by Sean O Donaíle
- Tonight With Vincent Browne (Radio One)
- The Travel Show ( BBC 1)
- Money, Money, Money (BBC)
``They tell me I'm going out live on RTE,'' said the Reverend Ian to raucous
cheering from the thousand Orangemen who had gathered in Ballymena `to
fight this to the finish'.
``Well I've got a message for you down in Dublin'' - much guffawing and
cursing - ``keep your nose out of Northern Ireland!'' - more whooping and
hissing and not a beercan in sight (maybe that was due to the fact that we
were on radio, in this case Tonight with Vincent Browne, who saw the funny
side of Paisley's rant.
Paisley's speeches in Ballymena have always differed from the carefully
chosen words for TV consumption - among the fundamentalists the sectarian
gloves are taken off, in this instance combining yet again the sword and
the Bible: ``We have a battle on our hands. Kneel down beside your bed and
pray to Jesus.''
For republicans, he has this: ``The sooner the law gets Adams and
McGuinness by the neck the better... do they think we are going to crawl to
Brendan McKenna?''
d more blatant bigotry: ``We have nothing against individual Roman
Catholics'', followed by blood curdling war cries: ``We will see this fight
through to the finish.''
His calls were heeded later that night in Finaghy, where a pipe bomb was
planted at the home of a Catholic family.
Vincent Browne is an astute interviewer (100% correct to pummel Dana during
the Presidential election campaign) and doesn't go soft on politicians. His
show carries a lot more cut and thrust than the tightly controlled
Questions and Answers, simultaneously broadcast on the big screen.
Paisley's rant was followed by the erratic Nell McCafferty, once again
playing the Devil's Advocate, who had observed the so-called long march for
two days before being expelled.
Her comments on the ``marvellous spectacle of Orange marches'', of their
``fear and confusion'' and that ``they've died for Queen and country and
cannot accept power sharing'' clearly irked Sinn Féin's Alex Maskey, who
pinpointed the offensive nature of the so-called `real' victims, unionist
muddled thinking, and the issue of unionists' refusal to share power with
nationalists.
In fairness to Nell, she approached the issue as a journalist and
challenged the marchers at a number of junctures - ``when Catholic victims
were highlighted, they stuttered to a halt''.
With the upcoming 1,300 Orange marches, some will take the opportunity to
``jet off to Frihillliana or the Galway Races'', minus the Duty Free but not
to worry, as there ís now so many Paddy Shamrock bars and (believe it or
not, Dunnes Stores springing up in Malaga and the like, there'll be no
shortage of rashers and sausages and greasy baps.
Whatever possesses people to spend thousands of pounds to go pink and peel,
eat cheap imitation Irish fries and drink watery Guinness in `Irish' bars
is beyond me, when Bundoran's copper-coated flower pots are only an hour's
drive away.
Still, we're nothing compared to the Brits, two million of whom swamp
Majorca annually, as featured in BBC's The Travel Show.
About 1% would be aware of Majorca's ``rich history... shaded Moorish
splendour... romantic candle-lit streets... and isolated mountainous
interior''.
More for them the plastic postcards complete with real sand and water,
3-foot wide berths per family on the beach and cheap lager, which have come
to symbolise the rampant commercialism that has tainted this once beautiful
island, which is being fast emulated by our own Temple Bar and Galway City.
If it's adventure, outdoor toilets, blisters, sweat, sandals and rucksacks
you want, you can always trek to the highlighted Macchu Piccu temple of
Peru , where ``the ancient Incas connected to the incredible scenery and
landscape with their marvellous architecture'' in between sacrificing each
other at tea time for the Gods.
Unfortunately for our guide, this sense of isolation was spoilt by meeting
more Brits on the summit, which is reminiscent of a colleague in search of
a unique experience, who met a wayward Kerryman in the depths of the
Mongolian desert, who had spent 25 years admiring its beauty.
A more reasonable explanation might be that the said Kerryman was still in
search of Clery's clock and the 1975 All Ireland Final!
Money, Money, Money (BBC 1) brings nought but misery , particularly for
Mike Antonucci , a 50-year-old bachelor and winner of £3 million in the
British Lottery.
We met Mike on his wedding day to 20-year-old page 3 girl Kelly - ``I didn't
marry him for the money'', followed by a three month return feature, by
which time Kelly had spent £200,000 on shopping and filed for £1.5 million
in a divorce suit.
Merry the bachelor boy be!!!
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