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A rights based society will benefit all of us
2022 was an interesting year
politically. Particularly around the changing attitudes
about the relationship between the different parts of the
‘United Kingdom of Britain and Northern Ireland’.
Methinks 2023 will be just as
interesting.
But for all the positive shifts in
public opinion on the constitutional future for the people of this island there
is still an embedded awfulness about the plight of homeless people, the poor
and disadvantaged. This is no accident. A government in Dublin wedded to
policies which advantage their friends in high places has made little
impression on the crisis in public services, especially the health services and
the lack of affordable housing. Partition and the absence of a real national
democracy have perpetuated this imbalance.
Thank God for those brave souls who
struggle within our public services to mind the sick and elderly who depend on
these services. They deserve better. Neo-liberalism is the
problem. That is capitalism by another name. Citizens deserve
rights. Neo-liberalism and its political supporters are against
this. They are against citizens having the right to a home, a
genuinely public health service and other fundamentals, including workers
rights. To achieve these fundamental entitlements will require a government and
a popular movement wedded to these rights. Change is needed. Change is
desired by the majority of people. Change is possible. In fact change is
already happening.
We need to intensify and popularise
these demands so that market forces will no longer determine the shape of
society based on how much profit will be garnered for big business and
other vested interests. A truly democratic society should be citizen centred
and rights based. We need to form alliances and coalitions to bring this
about.
Political struggle was always more
challenging in the North given the divisions, including the partition of our
land. Nowadays the absence of the northern Assembly and other Good Friday
Agreement structures and London’s toxic and malign role in our affairs,
exacerbates this. But here too change is happening. And attitudes are evolving.
This is particularly the case within civic society.
It is difficult to figure out
precisely how many of those who have shifted their position during
2022 on the constitutional question have done so because of their desire
to have an influence on social and equality issues. However, the contributions
by some participants at ‘Ireland’s Future’ events and Sinn Féin’s ‘Commission
on The Future of Ireland’ give some insights and causes for hope. So does the
growing body of literature and academic studies devoted to examining the
potential for a new society in Ireland. This is particularly the
case with the small but highly articulate groups of citizens from unionist
backgrounds.
The arguments being advanced by
them illustrate how and why they have ceased to be unionists and are now,
some of them anyway, united Irelanders. Some of them were converted by their
desire to live in a rights based society and by their discovery that London
rule and the Union do not provide this. They want the right to self
determination and the ability for us to properly govern ourselves instead of
being governed by a self serving clique in London. The majority of
unionists, for various reasons, remain wedded to the connection with
London. The rest of us in varying degrees detest this terribly unfair
union and all its malign consequences. So the division of
opinion is deep. But there is now movement towards democratic options. Not an
inch doesn't work anymore as well as it used to.
Everyone now knows that the future will be
determined by the people by way of referendum. Those who are against change
will not want to engage with this. Or to plan or prepare for this. But they
know that the referendum is on its way. So despite their
refusal to embrace this, the reality is that we are all now into a new
phase and everyone will find themselves increasingly having to respond to
this. Saying NO will not work anymore. It may delay change. It will not stop
it. Other responses will be required.
So, now is the time for a generous
enlightened phase of persuasion led by those who are embracing change. This
means reaching out to others who are open to persuasion. Linking social and
economic rights and the provision of public services as a necessary part of our
new, re-imagined political dispensation will be a crucial part of this process.
A progressive inclusive truly democratic rights based society will benefit all
of us, across every part of this island.
More Oul Words.
And so back to my wee William Lutton
book of Ulster Dialect words. Regular readers will recall that William Lutton
collected words and phrases mostly used in the Montiaghs, a district close
to Lurgan in County Armagh.
My copy of
Montiaghisms was reprinted in 1976 by The Linen Hall Library.
It was first published in 1923. It is a wee dictionary of Ulster dialect
words and phrases collected by William Lutton and edited by Francis Joseph
Biggar. Lutton was born in 1807 and died in 1870.
Here is another sample of his
notations for your entertainment and consideration.
Codger= a crafty wee boy.
Cologueing = scheming
Cornaptious= irritable
Daunder= to walk about slowly and
idly.
Diddy= a female breast.
Dinge = the impression made by a
blow on a malleable surface.
Drouth = thirst.
Duds = worn out clothes
Dunder = a loud noise.
Dullas = edible sea weed.
Dear = a title given to God as in
‘The Dear knows …. The Dear keep us.
Fadge = a thick wheaten cake.
Farl = the fourth part of a cake of
bread.
Fiz = a tumult or uproar.
Flannin = flannel.
Foother = to do any work or business
in an unskilled manner.
For-bye = besides.
Fornent = opposite
Gaulder= a loud shout
Gillygore= more than enough. Go leor.
Glar = thick adhesive mud found at
the bottom of bog drains, ponds, rivers.
Glour = to stare at.
Go = a large amount of
anything.
A gorb = a glutton.
Gowl = a howl.
Grew hound = a greyhound.
Gub = mouth.
Gern = to make a wry face, to cry
quietly.
Guzzle = to throttle.
Haggard = a stackyard.
Harl = to peel the skin of
potatoes without the use of a knife
Hape = a large quantity
Heart scald = anything
vexatious.
Herrim Skirrim = a rash boisterous
thoughtless person
Hoke = to dig badly.
Huff = to offend.
Hunker = to squat down.
Jaap = to use carelessly.
Jagg = a slight stab of a pin or a
thorn.
Kink = a suppressed laugh.
Kitlin = a kitten.
Lammin = a good beating.
A lash = a large quantity.
Leather = to beat severely.
Let on = to divulge a secret.
Loanin = a bye road.
Lock = a small quantity
Luck penny = in a bargain a small
amount returned to the purchaser.
Lue warm = tepid.
An Dream Dearg
One of the highlights of 2022 was the
street campaign for Acht na Gaeilge led by An Dream Dearg. Thank you. Míle
buiochas daoibhse. There is a lot more to be done to deliver
and advance Irish language rights across this island. But 2022 was a good
year for Gaeilgeoirí. The good health and potential revitalisation and growth,
against all the odds, of our language is due to the diligence and
determination of multitudes of great people over many decades of struggle. We
are indebted to them all.
But 2022 should be marked down
as the year when we eventually got rid of the last of England’s
Penal Laws imposed upon us in 1737. Well done An Dream Dearg and everyone else
for bringing colour, vitality, good humour, cheerfulness, success and fun to
this achievement. Leanaghaí Ar Aghaigh.
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