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Republican Women negotiators.
The considerable media coverage of
the 25 anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement frequently told the story of
that negotiation through the words and voices of the leadership figures who
participated. When the role of women in the talk’s process was mentioned it was
almost exclusively in the context of the participation of the Women’s
Coalition.
While the Women’s Coalition
undoubtedly played its part the absence of any focus on the part played by the
many women from the other parties did a disservice to their involvement. During
my contribution on the first day in the panel ‘Building Peace – the Parties’
that was chaired by Ambassador Nancy Soderberg I took the opportunity to read
out a list of those women comrades who were consistently part of Sinn Féin’s
negotiating team.
They included Síle Darragh, Siobhán
O’Hanlon, Sue Ramsay, Dawn Doyle, Geraldine Crawford, Bríd Curran, Lucilita
Bhreatnach, Bairbre de Brún, Dodie McGuinness, Chrissie McAuley, Rita O’Hare
and Michelle Gildernew. Mairead Keane our first North America representative
based in Washington from 1995 also played a significant role in DC and with our
Irish American allies.
Stardust families demand truth
The inquest into the Stardust
disaster opened in Dublin last week. The list of the dead from that terrible
event in February 1981 is heartbreakingly long. The families of the 48 young
people who died have been reading poignant pen portraits of their loved ones
into the record of the inquest. All of those who were killed were aged between
16 and 26. Over two hundred others were injured.
Forty two years after that appalling
tragedy the Stardust families now have the opportunity, long denied them by
successive governments, to get to the truth of the events of that night.
The inferno that consumed the St.
Valentine’s night disco in the Stardust at Artane left scores of families
devastated and the communities of Artane, Coolock and Donnycarney in North
Dublin reeling from the deaths of so many young people. Over 800 people had
been crammed into the venue. The trauma of those communities was compounded by
the subsequent decisions of state agencies to deny the families access to the
truth of what happened that night.
Accusations emerged quickly that
Dublin Corporation had failed to carry out any fire safety inspections in the
Stardust, which had opened in 1978 and was one of the largest of such venues in
the state. On the night of the fire there were five emergency exit doors. These
were padlocked and had chains attached to prevent their being opened. Metal
grilles and steel plates covered the windows. People outside the building were
unable to pull these off to help those trapped inside.
The owner, Eamon Butterly, said that
it was normal for the emergency exits to be chained. However he claimed that
the chains were taken off on disco nights. But on the night of the disaster the
chains were in place and those fleeing the fire and smoke could not escape.
A tribunal of inquiry was held
chaired by Mr Justice Ronan Keane.
Despite the Tribunal determining that there were severe fire violations and
that the owner acted with reckless disregard for the safety of his customers,
Butterly received £580,000 punts in compensation. Why? Because
although there was no evidence to support a conclusion of arson the Tribunal
ruled that arson was probably to blame.
The Director of Public Prosecutions
also decided that there were insufficient grounds to take action against
Butterly. No one was held accountable for what occurred. The only person ever
taken to court was Christy Moore who in July 1985 was found in contempt of
court for his song "They Never Came Home."
He was inspired to write the song
after hearing one of the mothers in an interview use that phrase. His
song contained the following lines:
"In a matter of seconds
confusion did reign.
The room was in darkness, fire exits
were chained…”
"Hundreds of children are
injured and maimed,
and all just because the fire exits
were chained."
In addition Eamon
Butterly claimed that the words; “Just how the fire started, sure no-one can
tell" was not accurate. The court found for Butterly and
Christy’s album had to be withdrawn.
In 1985 a compensation tribunal was established. To access compensation the
families had to relinquish their right to pursue any further legal action. In
addition there were two Oireachtas-appointed reports. None of these actions by
the state satisfied the families who continued to demand truth. They organised
protests, held vigils, and lobbied the political parties. Sinn Féin supported
the families throughout this process.
A review (The Coffey Inquiry, 2008)
ordered by the government concluded that the claim of arson was not "justifiable
on the evidence". Following the publication of the report the
Dáil voted on 3 February 2009 to acknowledge that: “the cause of the
fire is unknown, the original finding of arson is a mere hypothetical
explanation and is not demonstrated by any evidence and that none of the
persons present on the night of the fire can be held responsible for it.”
It is now accepted that there was no
arson and that the fire originated with an electrical fault in a first floor
storage room which did not have planning permission and held dangerous
flammable material, including cooking oil. Despite the clear breaches of
fire safety regulations, the owners never faced charges. The fact that
Butterly was a friend of then Taoiseach Charles Haughey has raised consistent
allegations of a cover-up.
Eventually the
campaign by the Stardust families’ resulted in 2019 in then attorney general
Séamus Woulfe ordering a new inquest. This has now opened and is expected to
last six months and to hear evidence from hundreds of witnesses. The Dublin
coroner Myra Cullinane has said she will not be bound by previous
findings of past inquiries and significantly, the High Court ruled last year
that this inquest can include 'unlawful killing' as a
potential verdict.
A
CoroNation Once Again
This column supports the decision by
First Minister Designate Michelle O Neill and Northern Assembly
Ceann Chomairle Alex Maskey to accept the invite to attend the coronation of
the English King Charles. They do so in their capacity as representatives of
all the people of the North.
The vast majority of people who have
talked to me about this agree with this initiative. Others do not agree. I
would be worried if it was not so. Republicans are against unelected
hierarchies of all kinds, including monarchies. That would be the case even if,
God forbid, there was a native Irish one. Even more so that we have someone
else’s Royals foisted on us. Or that some of us have suffered grievously,
including our neighbours and friends in Ballymurphy and Derry at the hands of
British paratroopers.
So it is no surprise that some
republicans will be discommoded by Michelle and Alex’s attendance. One
young person told me it was a step too far. But not everyone in the
North or in the rest of Ireland is a republican. And our society is deeply
divided, not least because of English claims to jurisdiction here.
Despite these divisions we have
agreed that the people of our island will decide the future. My clear
view, and Michelle and Alex’s, is that the union should be ended. Others have a
different view. We have to persuade them of the merits of self determination.
Any sensible citizen watching the recent punishment budget announcement by
the current British Secretary of State is bound to wonder why some local politicians
embrace this arrangement. We can’t afford the Union. Why shouldn’t
we have our own tax gathering powers? Why can’t we set our own budget?
Surely it is obvious that we
don’t need an English Tory, or anyone else from England, to rule us.
The cost of the union is too much. On all counts. The sooner it ends the better
for us all. Notwithstanding the current stance of the DUP, we are well
able to govern ourselves once the shackle of English rule ends. The Good Friday
Agreement referendum on the future will decide that. Governing
ourselves means everyone who lives here having respect and tolerance for each
other.
That’s what the First Minister and
the Assembly Ceann Chomairle’s acceptance of the coronation invite is about. No
matter about their own personal and political or ideological view they are
about representing everyone as best they can. Those who expect a reciprocal
gesture from the extremes of Unionism are naive. That is not the
rationale for this initiative. A First Minister for all is exactly
that. Michelle O Neill continues to hold and to act on her own republican views
but as First Minster Designate she is demonstrating her commitment to be a
Minister for everyone.
On this occasion she, and Alex,
will represent those who have a different attitude from them to
monarchies. Including people in England. Let’s lead by example
Good neighbourliness based on
equality of relationships is possible within and between the people of these
islands.
This will truly flourish when we get
to exercise our right to self determine our future. Speed the day.
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