Oh dear !
Should the state commemorate the RIC ?
The RIC were the British police in Ireland, before and during the war of independence they served the British Empire.
I have no doubt many RIC men behaved honourably and in accordance with their ideals. Those ideals were opposed to the creation of an Irish state. For the state to commemorate them would be a further step toward the reconciliation of those people today whose ideals support Britain's presence in Ireland and these who support the Irish state.
This commemoration should never have been a one party idea, if the Irish people think it appropriate to commemorate the RIC then that should only happen in the context of broad support for the idea.
Charlie Flanagan seems to have hatched the plan himself, if he had any confidence in his idea he could have asked FF and others to join him in supporting the plan before he issued invitations. Whether it was arrogance or a desire to bump others into a position where they couldn't demur he badly miscalculated.
On balance I am opposed to a state commemoration of the RIC, in particular I am opposed to the recent idea that the Gardaí are some how a successor force to the RIC, they are not. I would have absolutely no objection to any private commemoration, those who admire the RICs ideals are perfectly entitled to commemorate them. Fine Gael are perfectly entitled to join them.
Although FG are in Government they are not justified in a state commemoration off their own bat. Ireland is not an elective dictatorship.
When Cathal Crowe the FF mayor of Clare, in a very measured way, declined to attend and started a push back, Charlie Flanagan then used his expert advisory group as cover for the event, to pretend that it was not just a FG plan. Diarmuid Ferriter has called him out on that.
So lacking the courage of his convictions Charlie has deferred (RTE) or maybe cancelled (The Journal) the event.
What are the people who were looking forward to commemorating the RIC supposed to think now. They have been publicly humiliated. Invited to a party and then told the party is off. We don't want to commemorate them after all.
Charlie has disgraced himself thrice, in arranging a state commemoration on a narrow basis of support (was there any active support, apart from himself and perhaps John Bruton), by using the expert advisory group as cover, by failing to stand by his decision after announcing it and insulting those who were pleased to be invited.
As a final point, who were these invited relatives. As the great-grand son of an RIC sergeant, I certainly wasn't invited, nor to the best of my knowledge was any other of his descendents. I suspect the invited relatives were active political supporters of a certain point of view.
This farce has damaged the state and it efforts to sensitively commemorate the events of 100 years ago, it has embarrassed the government, it has embarrassed the expert advisory group, and I suspect it was done from base motives, to suggest that the political views of the heirs of John Redmond are the views of a majority of Irish people. They are not.
Charlie Flanagan should resign or be forced to resign.
Should the state commemorate the RIC ?
The RIC were the British police in Ireland, before and during the war of independence they served the British Empire.
I have no doubt many RIC men behaved honourably and in accordance with their ideals. Those ideals were opposed to the creation of an Irish state. For the state to commemorate them would be a further step toward the reconciliation of those people today whose ideals support Britain's presence in Ireland and these who support the Irish state.
This commemoration should never have been a one party idea, if the Irish people think it appropriate to commemorate the RIC then that should only happen in the context of broad support for the idea.
Charlie Flanagan seems to have hatched the plan himself, if he had any confidence in his idea he could have asked FF and others to join him in supporting the plan before he issued invitations. Whether it was arrogance or a desire to bump others into a position where they couldn't demur he badly miscalculated.
On balance I am opposed to a state commemoration of the RIC, in particular I am opposed to the recent idea that the Gardaí are some how a successor force to the RIC, they are not. I would have absolutely no objection to any private commemoration, those who admire the RICs ideals are perfectly entitled to commemorate them. Fine Gael are perfectly entitled to join them.
Although FG are in Government they are not justified in a state commemoration off their own bat. Ireland is not an elective dictatorship.
When Cathal Crowe the FF mayor of Clare, in a very measured way, declined to attend and started a push back, Charlie Flanagan then used his expert advisory group as cover for the event, to pretend that it was not just a FG plan. Diarmuid Ferriter has called him out on that.
So lacking the courage of his convictions Charlie has deferred (RTE) or maybe cancelled (The Journal) the event.
What are the people who were looking forward to commemorating the RIC supposed to think now. They have been publicly humiliated. Invited to a party and then told the party is off. We don't want to commemorate them after all.
Charlie has disgraced himself thrice, in arranging a state commemoration on a narrow basis of support (was there any active support, apart from himself and perhaps John Bruton), by using the expert advisory group as cover, by failing to stand by his decision after announcing it and insulting those who were pleased to be invited.
As a final point, who were these invited relatives. As the great-grand son of an RIC sergeant, I certainly wasn't invited, nor to the best of my knowledge was any other of his descendents. I suspect the invited relatives were active political supporters of a certain point of view.
This farce has damaged the state and it efforts to sensitively commemorate the events of 100 years ago, it has embarrassed the government, it has embarrassed the expert advisory group, and I suspect it was done from base motives, to suggest that the political views of the heirs of John Redmond are the views of a majority of Irish people. They are not.
Charlie Flanagan should resign or be forced to resign.