Taoiseach Kenny: No Interest in The North
Posted By: August 30, 2014
A version of this article,”Kenny is showing no interest in North,” appeared in the Irish Echo, August 27-September 2, 2014. p.15.
Some years ago, but well into the Irish peace-process, I met with the late Fr. Alec Reid, a key player in the peace-process. At short notice, he travelled from Dublin by train to meet with me in Belfast even though he was not in the best of health.
At that time, Gerry Adams had just made a statement expressing alarm about dangers to the peace-process. I asked Fr. Reid if Adams was exaggerating. I was stuck by the immediacy and definitive certainty of the response: ” Gerry Adams never exaggerates.”
All that came flashing back when Gerry Adams recently claimed that the political process faces its greatest threat since the Good Friday Agreement… Exaggeration?
Fr. Reid would say no.
I, too, have been concerned about dangers to the Irish peace-process. Being a “Northerner ” from Fermanagh I do not see it from a Southern perspective. The Southerner perspective tends to see The North as the Achilles heel of the Irish issue. I tend to see the Dublin government as the Achilles heel.
My concerns were vividly illustrated when Taoiseach Enda Kenny spoke at the official Irish Embassy St. Patrick’s Day celebration. He was the only speaker, speaking for fifteen minutes. Yet he never once mentioned The North, never indicated that Fermanagh and the other five Counties were part of Ireland, and never gave the slightest clue that he has any interest in the Irish peace-process.
” That’s because he has no interest,” would be the common response of some of the best-informed commentators on Northern Ireland.
Take, for example, Brian Feeney, columnist for the Irish News of Belfast. Feeney has kept up a steady drumbeat: “Kenny has no interest.” As recently as August 13, Feeney says: ” Gerry Adams has been particularly critical of the [Dublin] government’s lack of engagement in the north and has correctly pointed out its failures, no later than last Friday. For his part Michael Martin [Fianna Fail leader] has also made critical speeches about the government’s failures on the north…
The problem is that, although Adams and Martin are substantially accurate in their criticisms, Enda Kenny ignores them both, partly because he has shown no interest at all in the north … ” (“Sinn Fein Position in South Presents Difficulties in North”).
Let me say a word here about Brian Feeney, whom may not be widely known by Irish Echo readers, but whom I’ve long considered compulsory reading. First full disclosure: I’ve never met the man. He comes from a different tradition than I do.
He was an elected SDLP councilor for sixteen years and is now currently Head of the History Department, St. Mary’s University College, Belfast. However, I do feel friendly towards him because he was the first SDLP man to publicly support our Mac Bride Principles campaign, followed by Seamus Mallon, whereas John Hume always relentlessly opposed the Mac Bride Principles.
Now, back to the Achilles heel of the peace-process: Taoiseach Kenny.
On the very rare times he is forced to say something about the Irish peace-process he blithely pretends it’s up to the leaders in Northern Ireland. Really?
The Good Friday Agreement (GFA) is an INTERNATIOANL agreement.
The introduction to the 1998 Act states its purpose is “to make new provision for the government of Northern Ireland for the purpose of implementing the agreement reached at multi-party talks on Northern Ireland set out in Command Paper 3883.” The GFA signatories are not only the political parties in The North who signed up to it but also the British and Irish Governments — constituting the GFA as an international treaty.
Taoiseach Kenny never seems to act as if he really believes the Good Friday Agreement is an international agreement, for which he is jointly accountable. He seems to totally distance himself from the great work done by former Irish Prime Minsters: Albert Reynolds, Bertie Ahern, and Brian Cowen of Fianna Fail. Even Fine Gael Taoiseach John Bruton, a nice man — who now famously declares he is a Redmondite — was very engaged in the peace-process. (Bruton’s big mistake was bringing back as a special advisor Sean Donlon, the former Irish ambassador to Washington (1978-1981). Significantly, that other West Brit, U.S. Senator Pat Moynihan, welcomed Donlon’s return with: ” Donlon will know how to deal with those Sinn Fein bastards.”… How did that work out, Mr. Donlon?).
Some Irish-Americans seem to want to give Enda Kenny a pass because he has shown some concern about the plight of Irish immigrants. But it’s a huge mistake if Irish-Americans do not see the serious danger of Kenny’s failed leadership on the Irish peace-process. The Irish National Caucus clearly sees this danger and is duly informing the U.S. Congress… Miles to go before we sleep.
Taoiseach Kenny: No Interest in The North
Some years ago, but well into the Irish peace-process, I met with the late Fr. Alec Reid, a key player in the peace-process. At short notice, he travelled from Dublin by train to meet with me in Belfast even though he was not in the best of health.
At that time, Gerry Adams had just made a statement expressing alarm about dangers to the peace-process. I asked Fr. Reid if Adams was exaggerating. I was stuck by the immediacy and definitive certainty of the response: ” Gerry Adams never exaggerates.”
All that came flashing back when Gerry Adams recently claimed that the political process faces its greatest threat since the Good Friday Agreement… Exaggeration?
Fr. Reid would say no.
I, too, have been concerned about dangers to the Irish peace-process. Being a “Northerner ” from Fermanagh I do not see it from a Southern perspective. The Southerner perspective tends to see The North as the Achilles heel of the Irish issue. I tend to see the Dublin government as the Achilles heel.
My concerns were vividly illustrated when Taoiseach Enda Kenny spoke at the official Irish Embassy St. Patrick’s Day celebration. He was the only speaker, speaking for fifteen minutes. Yet he never once mentioned The North, never indicated that Fermanagh and the other five Counties were part of Ireland, and never gave the slightest clue that he has any interest in the Irish peace-process.
” That’s because he has no interest,” would be the common response of some of the best-informed commentators on Northern Ireland.
Take, for example, Brian Feeney, columnist for the Irish News of Belfast. Feeney has kept up a steady drumbeat: “Kenny has no interest.” As recently as August 13, Feeney says: ” Gerry Adams has been particularly critical of the [Dublin] government’s lack of engagement in the north and has correctly pointed out its failures, no later than last Friday. For his part Michael Martin [Fianna Fail leader] has also made critical speeches about the government’s failures on the north…
The problem is that, although Adams and Martin are substantially accurate in their criticisms, Enda Kenny ignores them both, partly because he has shown no interest at all in the north … ” (“Sinn Fein Position in South Presents Difficulties in North”).
Let me say a word here about Brian Feeney, whom may not be widely known by Irish Echo readers, but whom I’ve long considered compulsory reading. First full disclosure: I’ve never met the man. He comes from a different tradition than I do.
He was an elected SDLP councilor for sixteen years and is now currently Head of the History Department, St. Mary’s University College, Belfast. However, I do feel friendly towards him because he was the first SDLP man to publicly support our Mac Bride Principles campaign, followed by Seamus Mallon, whereas John Hume always relentlessly opposed the Mac Bride Principles.
Now, back to the Achilles heel of the peace-process: Taoiseach Kenny.
On the very rare times he is forced to say something about the Irish peace-process he blithely pretends it’s up to the leaders in Northern Ireland. Really?
The Good Friday Agreement (GFA) is an INTERNATIOANL agreement.
The introduction to the 1998 Act states its purpose is “to make new provision for the government of Northern Ireland for the purpose of implementing the agreement reached at multi-party talks on Northern Ireland set out in Command Paper 3883.” The GFA signatories are not only the political parties in The North who signed up to it but also the British and Irish Governments — constituting the GFA as an international treaty.
Taoiseach Kenny never seems to act as if he really believes the Good Friday Agreement is an international agreement, for which he is jointly accountable. He seems to totally distance himself from the great work done by former Irish Prime Minsters: Albert Reynolds, Bertie Ahern, and Brian Cowen of Fianna Fail. Even Fine Gael Taoiseach John Bruton, a nice man — who now famously declares he is a Redmondite — was very engaged in the peace-process. (Bruton’s big mistake was bringing back as a special advisor Sean Donlon, the former Irish ambassador to Washington (1978-1981). Significantly, that other West Brit, U.S. Senator Pat Moynihan, welcomed Donlon’s return with: ” Donlon will know how to deal with those Sinn Fein bastards.”… How did that work out, Mr. Donlon?).
Some Irish-Americans seem to want to give Enda Kenny a pass because he has shown some concern about the plight of Irish immigrants. But it’s a huge mistake if Irish-Americans do not see the serious danger of Kenny’s failed leadership on the Irish peace-process. The Irish National Caucus clearly sees this danger and is duly informing the U.S. Congress… Miles to go before we sleep.
