Some of you's bhoys and ghirls are bould fenians, I'm not saying that you's are unrepentant bastards or anything like that, to insult ye, but you's are heartless. The Plantation of Ulster (Irish-Plandáil Uladh) the organized ethnic cleansing of the province and subsequent colonisation (plantation) by Britain in 1609 was not Willie Frazer's fault. It was an extension of Britain's first colony. Willie's father and Uncle paid the price of being in the British Army of Occupation in Ireland, and I am sure Willie is worried about the same happening to himself, as most people in occupied Ireland are today. Willie is simply following the Orange Order ideology, passed on to him by his father and you can't fault someone that stands by their belief or tradition, and stands their ground. No more than most of us, he is mostly a victim of circumstance and false, secret, ideology passed on to him by the Orange Order, on the basis of a forged letter by William Of Orange, who cam over from Holland and usurped the British throne.
I personally can empathize with Willie, because it's not my fault that I had a Blueshirt father, who waited until his deathbed, to admit he was wrong and my mothers republicanism was correct. That doesn't mean that everything my father taught me was wrong. One of the basic things he taught me was, that two wrongs do not make a right, and I believe this applies in the instance of Willie's visit to Dublin. Of course people can rightfully say, that Britain's Dirty War, with varying degrees of intensity, is still going on in Ireland, and that Willie as a member of the British territorial Army, is a fair target but I do not agree. He has stated the purpose of his march, is to highlight the secrecy, still surrounding the killing of members of his community. He and his fellow Orangemen, intend to march in full view, unarmed down O'Connell Street to Leinster House and lodge an official petition. Like the Dublin/Monaghan bombings, that slaughtered so many Dubliners, the execution of which, included some of Willie's neighbours, the truth still has not seen the light of day and everyone's families, including Willie's community, after so many years, are entitled to the truth, to put the past to rest and move on with their lives.
Perhaps I am an ignorant man but the only successful Peace Process, that has happened in my lifetime, is the one in South Africa, which was based on Truth and Reconciliation. Clearly this has not happened in Ireland. Archbishop Tutu oversaw a public, transparent, platform, which daily witnessed both perpetrators and victims, give clear accounts, of war crimes, that happened in the Apartheid era. There was so much public, grief, anger and tragedy on both sides in public view, that people from both black and white communities, could only empathize with the horror inficted on both sides and as a result cross the racial divide. That empathy, crossed the racial divide sufficently, that South Africa, despite it's linerging economic issues, succeeded in laying the foundation for a solution.This will never happen in Occupied Ireland for many reasons, unless Britain leaves. British civil service bureaucracy, which was inherited by all its Commonwealth states or former colonies, was also inherited in Ireland. It includes such instruments as the Official Secrets Act, thirty year secret provisions with redaction, that transparecy is impossible. So in the case of Willie's community and in the case of the Dublin/Monaghan victims, they will never learn the truth of the Dirty War or the collaboration as long as Britain controls Irish affairs. The Irish establishment also have a vested interest in maintaining the status quo, which leads to decades of more misery, especially the most vulnerable. We have a fake Peace Process, that made some progress but mostly at a superficial level. The Dirty War still goes on, mostly at low intensity, and will inevitably flare again, sparked by issues like POW torture, social injustice or heaven forbid another Hunger Strike.
Now it is far easier for me write this in my detached state, than for people confronted by this everyday thorn in their lives. It is also easier because I have been fortunate enough, to deal with my past resentments, which would be more correctly called hatred. I do not resent any British person today and I hope with the help of the stardust, it never happens again, because it simply tortured me and drove me out of my mind. So I hope I am not writing out of hate but simply love of my country and people, with all its different traditions, that includes Orangemen, although I must admit I do enjoy poking fun at them, along with the Xpensive Quill. However, this is a serious matter and perhaps, Willie carries similar resentments today, which if we reflect on it, is quite understandable.
My humble suggestion is that all the victims families in th south, peacefully join Willie in his "Love Ulster" march. Indeed I would respectfully suggest, everyone, peacefully join the "Love Ulster" march, with a word of Irish honour, that they will remain peaceful but that is perhaps not realisitic under present circumstance. People are entitled to their opinions and the right to peaceully express them, including Willie. I believe, if the Blueshirt Minster for Justice in Leinster House, has any heart and balls, should personally receive Willie's petition and genuinely give Willie a big hug but being a politcian, I doubt he has the sincerity to do this, without it being choreographed. But for the love of Buddah, someone who has processed their grief and resentment of the past, GIVE WILLIE A HUG! I also believe, that everyone who protests Willie's march, might consider starting a genune Peace Process, based on a Truth & Reconciliation platform, covered properly by the media, overseen by Archbishop Tutu. I believe all political prisoners, should be released, as was the case under the previous agreement and and did not re-offend. I believe Britain needs to give a clear and unequivocal declaration of withdrawal. I believe that the EU, has a responsibilty. along with the IMF, to make up the shortfall, in the annual 10 billion pound sterling, British taxpayer subsidy to the north, until the impoverished people of empire, are empowered to stand on their own two feet and be self-supporting. Now of course, none of this will happen, unless people get up off their arse and make it happen and that depends on how much you Love your Country and your children. GO ON! GIVE WILLIE A HUG!, NOT A BONE CRUSHER!
Mine’s a wee bush and Mi Wadi
by Perkin Warbeck
Even as he sashays down Sackville Street back again/ as ais aris at the head of his loyal followers in sashes and bowler hats and dashing old blades with fasces as long as Lurgan spades.
What a spectacle that will be: as the snaking regarders from Hollywood, County Wicklow with their furled copies of The Unionist Times under their oxters conjoin once more in the main drag of the Orange Free Stateen with their good buddies from Hollywood, County Down and their furled brollies (small b, go deo, Smoking Joe) in their simply red hands.
The choice of tunes will be an embarras de riches. Pardon one’s Kermit but as the House of Frazer originated in the landing strips of Normandy it does seem somehow not inappropriate.
‘Je suis Prest’ being also the motto on the family coat of arms.
Which is mischievously spelled betimes with an added letter ‘Je suis Priest’ and other times with a missing letter ‘Je suis Pest’. The Frazer who styles himself ‘Je suis Willie’ will remain stoically unimpressed and know better than to pay any attention to these sidewalk scoffers with ABC on their shins. As it says on the tin: ‘I am Ready’. (Derived, according to Phil the Philologist, from the Buckinhamshire term: ‘We are Readies’).
Surprisingly, strawberries rather than oranges feature in the family armorial crest, being a pun upon the Kermit word ‘fraisse’ for the fruit not an orange. The similarity and hilarity of cette parole with the family name was just too much pun for the fun-loving Frazers to ignore.
But, mais revenons a nos moutons: let us return to our song of songs.
In a wonderfully in-depth lookback at the first score years of ‘Ireland’s Recall’ in last Saturnine’s Unionist Times the outlook was anything but gloomy for the future of this national tantrum of the eggchasing game.
Rather did the author stand shoulder to shoulder with o for ovoid and optimism. Reminding his readers that when the Coulter chorus first got a Captain’s run out and rang out around the HQ of the Alickadoos a try was worth a mere three points. Look at it now: a full fiver. ‘I am Ready’, one might say,having small changed into ‘We are Readies’ as the game has morphed from the shamateur to the street walking pro.
No more will those who have loyally stood up for the Ulsterman in the wee, glorious past have to stand up for Connie. The second last or penultimate line in the leprechaun version of The Soldiers’ Song / Amhran na bhFiann being,of course/ ar ndoigh: ‘Shoving Connie around the Green’.
No more will Oor Woolie or Wee Sommy himself have to humiliate himself on his trips south of the Boyne Water by first having to shove Connie around Stephen’s Green in order to cheer on the Boyz in Green in the Aviva.
-Stuff ‘em, say SUFTUM.
It will be bye, bye, Miss United Oirland Pie in the Sky / BT even as the Prez’s Chevie get driven to the levie to find the levie dry and good ole boys wryly drinking up the headlines about the water charges and other divarsions.
It will be be bye, bye Peggy Sue agus Pegeen Mike and hello Mary LU.
No, not Mary Lou, Mary LU: as in Love Ulster.
Tiocfaidh ar LA / Our Lethal Allies will come !
All the way from the Glennane Peace Centre. Which as any Fianna Failler with an eye to regaining power will tell you, come averil,come April showers, when she’s not tellling you about ‘Sinn Fein/ IRA’ is Glen Fhionnain in the original leprechaun: The Valley of Fionnan and not, repeat not, the Valley of the Seventeenth Dail
Phew. Mine’s a wee bush and Mi Wadi.
