Irish Democrat March 1987

Page Two
LAST COPY FOR
NEXT ISSUE
March 15th
LETTER
A chara.
'I 111 London Strategic Policy
I mi in conjunction with Format
Photographers lias produced a
portable I 2 x A I panel
Photographic exhibition with text
on the range ol Irish culture life in
London. The exhibition is lively,
informative and accessible to all.
The exhibition will be launched
olticiallv on lhursday, March
5th, I9K7 at an evening reception
in the Irish Centre, 52, Camden
Square. NWI from (>.30-9.00pm.
'1 he exhibition will be displayed,
leallets and posters will be
available and there will be live
musical entertainment from the
Shcelas and the London Pipers
Club.
I he exhibition is available to
Borough Councils who are
members ol the London Strategv
Policy Committee and also to
voluntary sector projects. There
v\ ill he no hire charge although the
exhibition will need to be insured
bv the hirer.
Please contact me lor any
lunhei information and booking
arrangements on (>.v'-2%l or 633-
I e meas.
C I AIKI
kl ATING
• MUSIC •
Ml BURN Polytechnic in Priory
Park Road will echo to the sound
ol Ireland's |igs, reels, hornpipes,
slides and polkas this weekend as
hmidicds ol budding young
traditional musicians from all
ovei north-west London compete
lor the championship titles in the
Irish instrumental section of this
year's Brent festival of Music and
Dance.
flic competitions will be
adiudicated by some of the best
known local Irish musicians,
including b u 11 o n-a cco rd i o n
maestro Paddy Hayes of
Ilailesden: popular banjo master
Mick O'Connor ol Kilburn; and
all-Ireland flute champion
Siobhan O'Donnell of Cricklewood.
v
tin.' (.oiuests get under way this
evening (I nday. January 13th) at 5
pin with entries lor the Fiddle. Tenor
U.ni|o. Whistle and Miscellaneous
Insti uiiients. and continue all day
loiiuii row (Saturday) from 9am. with
Button Accordion. Concert I lute.
Concertina, fiddle. Tenor Banjo,
duels, uios. groups, and ceili bands.
IRISH DEMOCRAT March 1987
LONDON JOTTINGS
A NEW day centre for single
homeless people in the area is the
priority of Cricklewood Homeless
Concern in I9R7- the International
Year of Shelter for the Homeless -
and the organisation is to step up its
campaign for this facility.
This was stated by Neasdenbased
housing worker Gerry
Molumby, chairman of the
registered charity, in his address to
its annual general meeting last
week at St Agnes's church in
Cricklewood lane, where the group
was founded just four years ago.
"We started in 1983 because of
concern amongst the priests and
some parishoners of St Agnes's at
the number of people calling at the
presbytery for a food handout -
many of the men were sleeping
rough", he said.
"From the very beginning
Homeless Concern has been
involved with single homeless
people who have special needs as a
result of alcoholism, mental illness
or poverty. Our service is available
to any homeless person regardless
of race, colour or creed."
"Our Sunday Club at St Agnes's
Community Centre is now attended
by up to 90 users and we are also
open on Tuesday afternoons. We
want the club users to see it as a
social event, as their place, where
they can chat, watch TV, or read
newspapers."
"Our development worker, Paul
Hinge, is available to meet the
welfare needs of club users. But
LECTURES
THE two last lectures of the
London series are those of Dr John
Hoffman on James Connolly's
politics on Marefrlst and of'the
Celtologist Peter Berresford Ellis
on April 5th, both: at Marchmont
Street Community Centre, WC1.
Time - 6.30 pm„
Those still to run in (he Liverpool
series are from Flann Campbell on
March 8th (John Mitchel) and from
Professor Iaplin (James Larkin)on
March 22nd, and the final lecture
on De Valera will probably be given
bv Desmond Greaves.
a. a A
NORTHERN CONFERENCE
"The Irish question and the British
Labour movement"
13 APRIL, 1987
Socialist Club, Bolton, Lanes.
- BOOK THE DATE -
ENQUIRY COUPON
Please send me particulars of membership) of the Connolly Association
Name
Address
Cut out and post to:
CONNOLLY ASSOCIATION,.
244/246 Grays Inn Road, London WC1
with the increase in numbers of
people coming for help during the
week and the need for a daily club
facility, it is obvious that we need
our own day centre."
Parish priest Fr. Herbert Haines
told the meeting that although the
recent sub-zero temperatures had
focused attention on the homeless
and aged, their needs are still there
throughout the year.
"Looking at Crick lewood and
taking account of the daily calis at
the Presbytery over the past year,
the needs of the homeless have not
lessened or gone away", he said.
"The number of homeless people
has stayed at a constant figure."
Fr. Haines also drew attention to
an issue which he feels is important,
and not just for homeless people:
"Cricklewood has no public toilet -
and this must reflect a certain lack
of sensibility on the part of the local
authority."
In his first year's report,
development worker Paul Hinge
said that a number of people who
were living rough are new housed in
local Council housing. Their
housing applications had been
speeded up by the existence of
'Concern' and his efforts.
"During the year we have started
alcohol counselling for people who
wish to avail themselves of this
service," he said. "This counselling
has often resulted in people being
referred to detoxication units miles
away. There is no unit in Brent."
Tom Reynolds recounted the
efforts made by the organisation
to obtain joint funding from
Cricklewood's three surrounding
boroughs - Barnet, Brent and
Camden - and the delays and
difficulties before the grants were
eventually received.
"We are grateful that Brent
Council has agreed the capital
funding for our Day Centre", said
Mayo-born committee member
Mary Cribben. "We feel strongly
that day-time, and how to kill those
long, dreary hours is a problem
many people fail to consider when
discussing homelessness."
In a moving address to the
meeting, Maurice O'Connor, a
native of Listowel, Co. Kerry said:
"I have been a member of the
Cricklewood Homeless Concern
almost from its inception both on
the management committee and as
a 'down and out' in Cricklewood."
' 'A t first it all seemed impossible,
but by sheer determination and love
how could it fail? Daily I was
gaining confidence, so as to reestablish
myself back into the
community. By now I was strong
enough to commit myself to a
Detox Unit to get dried out."
Members of the Management
Committee elected at the meeting
include: Gerry Molumby (chair),
Margaret Egan (secretary), Brigid
Keenen (treasurer), Len Cole,
Mary Cribbin, Sr. Winifred Dowd,
Leslie Dunn, Maurice
and Tony Sheward.
O'Connor,
CAUSES OF EMIGRATION
THE Director of the Irish
Chaplaincy Scheme in Britain -
which provides priests, nuns and
brothers to work with emigrants
from Ireland - has called for
radical changes in the economy,
structures and institutions, of the
Irish State.
"I'm fed up running the
ambulance," says Galway-born Fr
Bobby Gilmore. "I cannot continue
trying to put people into the
ambulance if the sources causing
people to emigrate • are not
examined."
"Poverty is the absence of
choice, and the young man or
woman who has no choice about,
whether they can stay at home or
emigrate, are the modern victims of
Ireland's poverty. They are . the
people coerced to emigration."
"Is it just to pay interest on our
national debt to the international
banking system which leaves our
own people in poverty? Our foreign
debts should be re-negotiated and a
lower rate of interest paid."
"The Church must bring about a
situation where people can make a
choice. Emigration should be
voluntary, not compulsory. Ireland
has to begin to find solutions itself
and restructure its economy to give
people a choice."
Accusing the Church of being
more concerned with bedroom
rather than boardroom morality,
Fr Gilmore appeals for a national
debate involving the main power
groups of Irish society - the church,
trade unions, business and
government.
"It may take ten years," he says,
"but a country that hasn't got a
vision hasn't got a future. Ireland
doesr't have a vision and sooner or
later people will have to give it a
vision if they want to keep their sons
and daughters in the country."
4 6"
The building trade arid the
Irish Community"
Speakers:
GEORGE HENDERSON (ITGWU)
ERIC FLEMMING (ITGWU)
TOM MERNAGW'(UCATT)
Saturday, .21 Mferch
2pm
MARCHMONT STRflET CENTRE, WC1
NUR PLEASE NOTE
I BOARDED a train at
Manchester Oxford Road Jo go t«
Liverpool Lime Street. It had come
I believe, from Cleethorpes and
there was a clear notice to th« effect
that refreshments were available on
it. I needed something. I had come
from a funeral.
But there were no refreshmepts on
it. I complained to the guard. "Those
people are nothing to do with British
Rail. If they want to stop at
Manchester they do. They're
privatised."
I had not seen it published
anywhere that British Rail was
privatising its refreshments cars,
though I understand it is privatising
its toilets, so I wrote in to them.
Well, it's true. And not only did I
miss the expected refreshments, that
train was going back to Cleethorpes
and the Lime Street loudspeakers
announced the refreshments that were
not available.
Did the crews want to have a drink
in Manchester before going back to
Cleethorpes. Don't imagine that all
on British Rail are railwaymen. They
are not. For the moment British Rail
say they have not privatised "intercity
services." But Liverpool to
Cleethorpes is a good long run!
HIGH COURT
APPLICATION
FOR SEAN STITT
THE National Council for Civil
Liberties has made an application
to the High Court on behalf of Sean
Stitt, research student in Northern
Ireland, who has been banned from
the rest of the United Kingdom
since 1978. He is the subject of an
exclusion order made under the
Prevention of Terrorism Act.
Under Part II of the Prevention
of Terrorism Act a British citizen
can be banned, by being made the
I subject of an exclusion order, from
being in or entering England,
Scotland or Wales.
NCCL, as Mr Stitt's lawyers,
will argue in the High Court that
the exclusion order against him is
unfair because he has never been
informed of the case against him, ie
given reasons why he has been
excluded, and he has suffered by
being excluded to Northern Ireland.
In particular he has been prevented
from travelling to see members of
his family, to set up his home in
Britain and to pursue his career
here, and from attending and
participating as an elected delegate
at official union conferences. Mr
Stitt has never been a member of a
political party and opposes the
activities of all paramilitary groups
in Northern Ireland, and has never
been a member of such a group.
Marie Staunton, Legal Officer
and Mr Stitt's solicitor said
recently:
"It is a basic principle of
British justice that a person
should know the case against
him. Yet Sean Stitt, and those in
a similar position, are not given
the reasons for their exclusion.
This amounts to punishment
without trial and we are taking
this case because exclusion
orders can give rise to< great
personal injustice. We are asking
the High Court to examine the
way in which the powers to ex«
elude British subjects from
certain parts of the United
Kingdom operate."
Exclusion orders are reviewed
every three years and the excluded
person can make written
representations and is generally
offered- an interview,, to be
conducted by a member of' the
Special Branch; representations
and interview may be of little value<
to an excluded person however if he
does not know the basis on which'
tk*r*ehwioir order has been made."
March ,1987
T'S
THE B!G BANG
FARMERS LAND IN EEC MUCK
BY JOHN
THERE were great shouts of joy
over another British 'victory'
recently when Sir Henry Plumb
was elected President of the
European Assembly. This is the
former leader of the National
Farmer's Union (NFU), a
Eurofanatic and leader of the
Conservative group in the
Assembly. Although this EEC
body was officially renamed
European Parliament its function
is still only that of a nearly
powerless assembly. This makes
the victory a hollow one, as Sir
Henry will, in practive, be
chairing a very expensive chat
show.
Back in Britain, NFU members
at their annual conference were
calling for the head of the
agricultural minister. He had
revealed plans, that had hitherto
been secret, to take land out of
production in order to fit into
Brussel's plans to reduce overall
EEC food surpluses. The
agricultural minister then got into
trouble for upsetting farmers. The
government then backtracked
with the Prime Minister
expressing complete confidence in
the agricultural minister and
telling farmers they were taking a
selfish and short term view of-the
farming community and its
future.
-„ ^
Part of the plans regarding
agricultural land involves
releasing 'surplus' farmland for
building development. Planting
large areas of softwood or conifer
trees is also part of the scheme that
has annoyed conservationists.
Softwoods produce quick profits
but do not do the land much good.
WHY has the government,
currently short on friends and
supporters, taken measures that
upset traditional allies in the
countryside?
One of the agreements made by
Britain upon joining the Common
Market was to abandon sovereign
control over agriculture and
accept in its place the Common
Agricultural Policy (CAP) of the -
EEC. EEC policies, directives,
regulations, and agreed package
deals take precedence over what
ministers in Whitehall decide.
Even Parliament in Westminster
is overruled, when it is given the
opportunity to discuss such
matters, and that is rare these
days, precisely because power on
this subject rests in Brussels.
All this was clear in the early
I970's when Britain joined the
EEC and when the NFU was one
of the more vocal groups shouting
for the Common Market.
Farmers saw sacks of gold around
the next corner but failed to look a
little further ahead at the surplus
mountains that would inevitably
smother them too. Many would
say "serve them right". However
it is the small farmers that are
suffering and the big farmers that
have made a pile and would like
an even bigger golden egg. Then it
was the large farmer that
dominated and led the NFU in the
days when Sir Henry Plumb was
NFU President. Now it is the
^fnall farmer that is protesting but
too late. It is useless fiddling with
EEC quota systems that penalise
the dairy and cereal producers.
These hit the smallest man
BOYD
hardest. The problem is
fundamental decisions and far
reaching policies have been
decided; it is these that have to be
reverved. It is always better to get
the correct policy in the first place.
A REASON for lifting
restrictions on developing
agricultural land for building
purposes is to accommodate the
general move of the population to
the South East of England. This
move has been brought about by
the influence of the EEC.
Industries in the North and
Midlands have been destroyed
one after the other as the
manufacturing centre of the EEC
on the continental mainland
develops. The nearest part of
Britain to the centre of the
Common Market is the South
East. Pressure on housing is
accute and sites, for warehousing
and other buildings in a vast
staging post, require land which
means releasing agricultural land.
The staging post is mainly for
imports. A large part of those
imports will involve.the transfer of
mountain tops, lakes and swamps
of surplus food from mainland
Europe into Britain, and the rest
of the imports will be
manufactures once made in
factories up and down Britain. An
objective of CAP is to inhabit and
even destroy Britain's agriculture
so that it rests along with her other
industries that have already been
raised to the ground.
The ability of the Government
to cover up its role as EEC agent
gets increasingly difficult,
especially when its allies get hurt.
What is needed is greater exposure
of these traitorous acts, which is
what they are, in order to help
bring about some unity of all
groups affected. This will go some
way to ensuring the next
government Britain gets takes
steps to withdraw Britain from the
EEC When, and only when, that
occurs will Britain, and its
farmers, be better ensured of a
living and a decent future.
BUY THIS!
GOING through the press at the
moment and shortly available is John
Boyd's pamphlet, "The murder of
British industry." It is a complete and
scientific exposure of the result of EEC
membership on the British economy,
and the same considerations apply to
Ireland.
His first point is that the Treaty of
Rome aims at maximising competition,
and removing all restrictions on the
movement of goods and persons, lliere
is an economic principle known as that
of the "centralisation of capital' which
states that free competition inevitably
leads to a concentration of industry in
the central regions of a market area,
draining the life out of the periphery.
The second point is that handing over
contral of economic policy to Brussels
has robbed the country of its power to
do anything against this process. It is
the replacement of democracy by stateguaranteed
market forces.
This has produced the derelict
steel-mills of Sheffield, the derelict
docks of Liverpool and Manchester,
and the process is nowhere near
complete. For now agriculture is to go.
Make sure of the pamphlet as soon as
it come out. It will be obtainable at the
"Four Provinces Bookshop" 244/246
Grays Inn Road, London, by post 90p,
post free, personal purchasers, 75p.
IRISH DEMOCRAT
Padraig O Conchuir
CARNANDTHE
CELTIC LEAGUE
by
PADRAIG O CONCHUIR
EDINBURGH was the venue for
the Celtic League's AGM last year.
Its A GM rotates, being held in turn
in each of the 6 Celtic countries.
Concerned with the survival of the
indigenous Celtic languages, the
League accepts that today a
language needs status and the
support of an administration
committed to its well-being. It
encourages mutual support and
understanding of the component
countries with the long term aim of
a Celtic federation. Alan Heusaff a
Breton, has run the League for 24 of
its 25 years, from Dublin. With his
advantage Lord Randolph
wife Brighd, Alan has raised a fine
Churchill played what he called
family of 6 Irish-speakers. Most
"the Orange card". Unlike that
fittingly his retirement to
Tory godfather the Scottish
Connemara more or less coincided
National Party appears to pretend
with the award to him of Gradam
that Ireland does not exist, so
an Phiarsaigh. Setup 7 years ago it
neurotic has been its dread of an
is an award made annually to
Orange-Green struggle in
someone who has made a
Scotland. This psychology has
worthwhile contribution towards
constrained the party from rocking
the attainment of Patrick Pearse's
the political boat to such an extent
ideal of an Irish Ireland.
that it gives the impression of being
a UK regionalist grouping, rather
than a genuinely national entity.
The new general-secretary is
Manxman, Bernard Moffatt, a
seasoned campaigner against such
atrocities as Sellafield, the 6-
Counties and reckless British
submarine activity in well
established fishing grounds. Also
from the Isle of **an is Pat Bridson,
now living in Dublin and editor of
"Cam" the League's quarterly.
Cam can be identified from its
cover showing Brittany, together
with the Celtic parts of these
islands heavily shaded on an outline
map. Although there are always
contributions printed in each of the
Celtic languages it is essentially an
English-medium publication.
f-
PROBABL Y of greatest interest
to Irish readers will be an article in
the Scottish section of the current
(No 56) edition. Fully a century has
elapsed since for party political
A CHARA,
Donal Kennedy's recent article,
Memento Mori, serves to remind us
that we live in hazardous times. It is
indeed alarming that the deaths of
so many whose names are familiar
should, for those of who know
Donal, have occured so close to
home.
In taking a leaf from Donal's
Latin textbook, with acknowledgments
to Quintus Horatius
Flaccus (or Wilfred Owen,
depending on one's point of view
regarding the fate of patriots), I am
Page Three
Celtic League founder Alan Heugaff
In contrast the Big Man has
never been unduly concerned with
maintaining a respectable image.
One result of the Anglo-Irish
Agreement has been his formation
of a Scottish Unicnist Party,
resolved to punish Mrs Thatcher by
fielding a general election
cnadidate in most of the Scottish
constituencies with a Tory MP.
Phil MacGiolla Bhain who wrote
the article "Paisley Plays the
Scottish Card," is secretary of the
Scottish branch of the League. He
contends that, thanks to Paisley,
the SNP can no longer ignore the
Irish factor. Instead of viewing it as
a terrible embarrassment, he
contends that the opportunity
should be seized to appeal
specifically to the considerable
Irish element in Scotland. An
reminded of the words, "Dulce et
decorum est pro patria mori," and
cannot but reflect upon the
likelihood of such an event
prematurely taking place seeming
all the more probable if one has
made the acquaintance of the said
man of Howth.
Lest he should imagine that his
friendship is not valued, let me be
the first to put his mind at rest on
that account. Nevertheless, until his
friends' mortality statistics show a
marked improvement I would be
grateful were he to limit our former
good relationship to the telephone,
reverse charge if necessary.
In the event that, upon the
independent Scotland can reemerge
through the break-up of the
existing political structure. Phil
himself exemplifies that Irish
element, so well established in
Scotland, and he could well play a
very useful part in bringing about
the rethinking that is necessary to
seize the opportunity that Paisley
has provided.
ONE of the cliches most
frequently parroted by people of
many shades of opinion is "We, as a
nation...." when Britain or the
entire UK is envisaged. Whether
conscious or spontaneous there is
an impression of whistling in the
dark. Enoch Powell's long selfbanishment
from the civilisation of
Wolverhampton to the exterior
darkness of South Down probably
stems from his realisation tht the 6-
Counties is decidedly the weakest
part of the UK political fabric.
Ultimately, the Celtic card could
trump the Orange one.
There is much else of interest in
Cam. See for yourself! If not
available in your area a
subscription of £5 can be sent to
Seamus O Coileain, G42, Du Cane
Court, London, SW17 7JR. That
comprises a year's membership,
including receipt of the four
quarterlies by post.
publication of this letter, I am no
longer available for further
comment I hope my friends in the CA
may be relied upon to erect in my
memory a gravestone bearing the
legend:
He chose his friends
carelessly,
And now lies here
cheerlessly,
FOr he knew Donal
Kennedy
When still alive,
alive-o.
Mise le meas,
SEAN de BURCA