.jpg)
Presidential Vote is constitutional requirement
In a historic vote in the Assembly last week its members overwhelmingly passed by 46 votes to 25 - a motion calling on the Irish government to implement the recommendation of the 2013 Constitutional Convention on the Constitution to extend “the right to vote in elections for President of Ireland to all Irish citizens on the island of Ireland.” The reality of course is that successive Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael governments have deliberately refused to implement this recommendation despite having 12 years to do so.
The right of Irish citizens to vote in Presidential elections has been a constant campaign issue for Sinn Féin and many others since the Good Friday Agreement in 1998. Article 2 of Bunreacht na hÉireann states: “It is the entitlement and birthright of every person born in the island of Ireland … to be part of the Irish nation. That is also the entitlement of all persons otherwise qualified in accordance with law to be citizens of Ireland.”
Last week’s remarkable Assembly debate and vote is a reflection of the changing political landscape in the North. Leas Uachtarán Michelle O’Neill has written to An Taoiseach Micheál Martin urging him to “make the extension of Irish Presidential voting rights to Irish citizens in the North a priority for his government”.
There is time to do so before the next election later this
year.
Its long past the time for a change and for the Government
to act on its promise to hold a referendum.
Donnacha
Donnacha is one of twin boys. Niall and he are the second
born of Davoc and Anne’s family. There is Áine and Turlough. Davóg is the
oldest. Donnacha’s story is incomplete without them. Especially his amazing
parents. And they would be incomplete without Donnacha. He is the touchstone in
the lives of his family. And in the lives of many others including this column.
He is a huge inspiration for me.
So who is Donnacha?
Donnacha Rynne was born six weeks prematurely. He had cerebral palsy. Anne and Davoc were told he would never walk. Life for him could not be the same as other boys. Not the same as his twin brother Niall. No school. No boyish experiences. And eventually… an institution.
Anne and Davoc decided this was not their way. Their son
would be reared same as any other child. And he was. In the early days in Kildare, later on the
west coast of Clare. He went to school and later to work. For a time, he flew the nest and moved back
to Kildare to live with his aunt. His mother taught him life skills in Galway.
Then back to Clare.
That’s when I first met Donnacha. In the hostel at Spanish
Point.
Our Gearóid and I were camping our way around Ireland.
Donnacha was working away at peeling and washing spuds, greeting guests and
telling yarns. He was great craic and we hit it off from the get go.
Before long he was in Belfast, up for the Féile. In those
days Donnacha didn’t need the wheel chair or at least he didn’t bring it to
Béal Feirste. He was out and about smoozing his way from gig to gig, looking
for a girl and to his annoyance being chaperoned by Minnie Mo who shooed all
promising females away. He appeared on Féile Radio and promoted disability
rights. He camped in our back room, ate us out of house and home, laughed a lot
and charmed big Eamon and especially Colette with his take on life, love, lust
and the importance of being.
By the time Gearoid and Roísín got married Donnacha was
wheelchair bound. But that didn’t stop him bopping it up with the rest of
us. By now Donnacha was living
independently in a house of his own in Miltown Malbay and he and I would get
together occasionally for coffee as I wandered through the land. Increasingly
dependent on carers for everyday necessities, yoga, music, and friendship
uplifted him.
Donnacha died last week. I had planned to visit him in July.
Unfortunately, that will not be. I sat down to write a tribute to him but his
Mammy -Anne Rynne- has given me permission to print the one she wrote so I will
offer that to you instead dear readers. Donnacha loved West Belfast. And West
Clare.
He loved life. He lived in the nowness. Donnacha remains an
inspiration.
DONNACHA
As your life ebbs away from us
I remember your wisdom
I remember your patience
I remember your acceptance
I remember your joy at every beat of your heart
Oh son of mine
My teacher
My little funny boy who “hated all the stupid questions” he
was asked by the people in white coats who made him cry
And who laughed when I said let's not bother going again to
the White Coats
My beautiful good looking young man
Who never in his life said why me
Who never ever complained
Who always had a smile and a thank you
Who taught us how to live good lives
He struggled in school
He stretched in his yoga
He battled with his DISABLED PEOPLE OF CLARE comrades for
“nothing about us without us”
He went to Belfast to walk the line for Justice
He rolled a rock from the Burren to Dublin for Mullaghmore
He insisted on being his own man and fought with MaryJo for
his own home
He shared his home with the best team in Ireland
His Dream Team of Ali Aine Mary Fiona Chris Gerry
He was cared for by the mighty Dr Billy for many years and
now by Dr Dymphna and her colleagues in the Medical Centre and by Veronica and
her colleagues in West Clare Pharmacy
He smoked two joints every day when he was able – rolled by
his Ma SHHHHHH!
He loved a pint of the black stuff when he was able for it
He rolled down the centre of Main Street in his wheelchair
with his beloved dog Quinte by his side, waving at all and sundry oblivious to
the fact that a line of cars was waiting for him to go where he wanted to go
He ended up in a ditch on the bog road with the wheelchair
on top of him and frightened the life out of a walker passing by with his
shouts for HELP!
He loved his home in Church Road, his neighbours and
everyone in Miltown Malbay
He loved D’UnBelieveables, Fr Ted, the Goons, the craic, the
uncles.
He loved the postcards from Little John and GerryA as they
travelled the world and told him all about it
He was so delighted when Barry suggested – Don’s, you have a
book in you - and after years of being recorded by TomP his book BEING DONNACHA
was published
"My contribution to the world Ma”
Oh Yes and much, much more sonshine
He showed us all and held us all together
This Mystical Man
This old man in the young boy who told us stories beyond his
years
This young lad wanting to be an ordinary man
This man who wrote poetry and sang songs
This man who yearned for love and for sex
This man whose life is beyond our ken
This man who carries his life with grace with dignity with
gratitude
The nephew to Catherine to Brigid and Eugene to Andrew A'nD
Joan and Ramona
Christy and Val to Eilish and Peter to Andy and Sandra to
Terry and to Barry
The cousin to Bríd Óg and all the cousins
The brother in law to Sophie, Maisie, Mary and Alan
The uncle to Amelia, Leane, Oscar, Alice and Robin
The brother to his twin Niall to Davóg and to Turlough
The brother to his darling sister Áine
The son to his crumbley old Mam and Dad - Anne and Davoc.
The man who is and always will be Donnacha.
Anne Rynne
Comments