Conference tallis::celt

    Having discovered that my Mother's people came from Co. Antrim, I fully
    intend to visit the North on my next journey.  This could be as early
    as a week from tomorrow, depending on what happens Monday morning when
    our group expects to get whacked.
    
    Seeing as how this trip will likely be of an extended duration, I will
    no doubt visit many areas that the average tourist avoids. 
    
    Unfortunately, circumstance may preclude my reporting back on what I
    find.
    

                 Northern Ireland Tourist Board:  
         Part of Britain's Anti-Irish Counter-Insurgency Strategy
                 By Sandy Carlson

Earlier this year, the Northern Ireland Tourist Board, a semi-state
British government-funded body, announced that "unique selling points
must be developed" within the industry to attract tourist to the north.
The Board identifies international interest in the conflict in Ireland
as one such unique point.  The Tourist Board has said, "The opportunity
to harness this 'curiousity factor' should not be overlooked as a
positive factor in encouraging people to visit and understand Northern
Ireland."  Thus the Tourist Board hopes to turn the largest deterent to
tourism into a tourist attraction.  The tourist Board says that the
image of Northern Ireland as a "troubled area" is "undoubtedly the
primary weakness" to hinder the growth of tourism.

While the Board's interest in creating jobs may be viewed as admirable,
their desire to exploit human suffering to bring in tourist dollars is
reprehensible, at best.

This proposal must also be viewed in the context of British
counter-insurgency in Ireland.  In other words, how would such a project
promote a positive view of British participation in Irish affairs?  If
the Tourist Board follows the example of the British-government-funded
University of Ulster's approach to attracting foreign students, the
Board will promote the point that the war in Ireland is more hype than
reality.  The Board, like the university, will suggest that all this
talk of conflict and danger and "troubles" is no more than rumor.  The
Board will also suggest that those who oppose the government's
undemocratic violations of civil, human, and national rights are a mere
fringe group without any real argument or reason for complaint.

It is very likely that the Board's approach to the fringe benefit of
such tourist income -- an increase public "understanding" of "Northern
Ireland" -- will fit in very neatly with the British government's
counter-insurgency strategy; sap the government's opponents of their
support so that those opponents will lose support and strength and fade
away.

When the British government implements this "come see the troubles"
strategy, all individuals and groups who have campaigned for human
rights, fair employment legislation, and an honest understanding of
Ireland's past and present should be prepared to be classified as
fanatics on the fringe, IRA supporters, and the uninformed.  After all,
we, as supporters of human rights and good government, are part of
Britain's opposition and, therefore, the subjects of British
counter-insurgency.

    It would be useful to have references for the publications that
    articles are extracted from.  A couple of words on the author's
    background would help for those of us who aren't familiar with them.
    
    Tom

    NEW YORK PRAYERS FOR THE "FIGHTING MEN OF IRELAND"
    
    From Joe O'Connor, New York
    
    An anniversary Mass for Bobby Sands and the other nine republican
    hunger strikers who died 11 years ago was held in St Patrick's
    Cathedral on Fifth Avenue last Thursday.
    
    The highlight of the event, organised by Cody McColohan a senior
    figure in New York's Brehon Law Society, was a sermon by Limerick
    born Fr Pat Moloney:
    
    "I want to pray this evening for those ten brave men who were
     MURDERED, " -  he raised his voice and all the homeless people
    dozing at the back woke up - "MURDERED by British tyranny."
    
    He wanted us to pray "for the fighting men of Ireland who are
    our last hope against British wickedness." He railed against
    the "puppet politicians in the so-called Free State, putting on
    their dirty, stinking happy smiles."
    
    Then ne remembered ANOTHER jail: "And may Christ destroy that
    Bastille in the heart of Ireland, Port Laoise Prision." Fr
    Moloney bashed the pulpit before ending with a final prayer
    for the IRA: "that god may give strength to their arms."
    and returned to the altar and resumed saying Mass.
    
    The event was followed by a reception (with more speakers)
    in the Manhattan Club on Seventh Avenue. A young man from
    Co. Tyrone who said he had been arrested in Germany for
    alleged terrorist activities and had been beaten up and
    falsely imprisoned, used the religious imagery once
    favoured by Patrick Pearse. "Like Christ," he said
    "the Irish people will rise again." There were cheers.
    
    "Like Mary, Queen of the Gael," he cried out "we will
    crush the serpent of British tyranny." (more cheers)
    
    "The spawn of Satan, Margaret Hilda Thatcher, was nearly
    flushed out of her hotel and into the English channel."
    The little crowd erupted. "There will be more surprises
    for the Brits in the months to come" he assured us
    "please be to God."
    
    Fr Moloney seemed to be enjoying the speech . When it
    was put to him that his views were arguably contrary to
    Christianity, and would almost certainly be anathema to
    the vast majority of the Irish people, north and south,
    he shook his head sadly.
    
    He had been in the "Free State" a year ago and spent a 
    good deal of time driving around and picking up hitchhikers.
    "And I asked them all what they thought about a United
    Ireland, and, do you know, they nearly all agreed with
    me."
    
    How many hitchhikers had he picked up during his investigation
    of Irish opinion? "Over 500." he said "504 to be precise and
    they nearly all agreed with me".
    
    - Sunday Tribune, 23/8/92

    
    Jack Holland is a free-lance writer, and personally I found his
    article so witty and provocative that I though it deserved to
    be inserted here.
    
    After all we have seen plenty of "Been there, was oppressed.."
    stories in these notes, and I am just wondering how seriously
    we should take them.
    
    After all it is oh so easy to come to a place like Northern
    Ireland with a major chip on your shoulder, spend your 
    time collecting oppression stories (I believe behavioural
    psychologists call this "stamp collecting") and return 
    with that chip, which may have been slipping, nice
    and firmly in place again.
    
    The Sunday Tribune piece is just a reminder that a minority
    of Irish people and Irish-Americans are as fanatical, bigoted
    and dangerous as the Nazis or the Ku Klux Klan.
    
    Toby

    Toby,
    
    I go away for a week and come back to find you've been on a typing
    frenzy. Is this a last ditch attack on all those who hold opposite views
    to yours or have you suddenly found a heap of 'funny' articles that
    you'd like to share.
    
    >The Sunday Tribune piece is just a reminder that a minority
    >of Irish people and Irish-Americans are as fanatical, bigoted
    >and dangerous as the Nazis or the Ku Klux Klan.
    
    Just glad there are no English people like that.
    
    
    Tony :-)

    
    Tony,
    
    Alas you are correct on both counts - I have a lot of time
    on my hands and the hour may soon be nigh when I switch
    off my terminal for the last time.
    
    However, I like to think I am not attacking anyone. I believe
    that CELT noters are capable of rational argument, and like
    a reasoned case, spiced with some wit and plenty of vigour.
    Their minds are capable of change, and so I believe is mine.
    
    So why not try to change minds, and discuss the points made,
    instead of worrying about who made them?
    
    Toby

    Toby,
    
    >Alas you are correct on both counts - I have a lot of time
    >on my hands and the hour may soon be nigh when I switch
    >off my terminal for the last time.
    
    Lets hope that doesn't come for a long time. I've seen so many noters
    go in the last 12 months that I'm beginning to think it's a conspiracy
    to get rid of employee-intrest notesfiles.
    
    >However, I like to think I am not attacking anyone. I believe
    
    I don't think you are either. I enjoy reading your notes, even those I
    don't agree with.
    
    >So why not try to change minds, and discuss the points made,
    >instead of worrying about who made them?
    
    I agree with you. I just wanted to provide you with some feedback
    otherwise you might think that no one is reading your notes and stop
    entering them, thus depriving us of your wit and wisdom :-)
    
    Tony.