Sir, – Congratulations on your excellent commemorative publication “1912 Home Rule and Ulster’s resistance” (April 25th). While Redmond and his party may have been subsequently “airbrushed out of official Irish history”, the Irish Parliamentary Party was certainly afforded appropriate coverage here, while it was noted that its vision has been realised in “modern democratic Ireland”.
However, one party which has been consistently airbrushed from Irish history is the anti-sectarian “All-for-Ireland League”, bitter rivals and critics of Redmond and his party, who a century ago pleaded for both national self-determination and unity ahead of the exclusion of the north eastern counties, to be achieved through genuine conciliation between orange and green.
This vision of William O’Brien and the All-for-Ireland League was crushed amid subsequent events, leading to the establishment of two separate inward- looking states, reinforcing sectarian division.
A century on, both have in various respects, been marked by failure. The problem with Redmond’s nationalism and Irish nationalism in general over the past century has been that it has never embraced the “Orange” tradition in Ireland nor recognised it as constituting a legitimate strand of Irish culture.
Periodic debates around Ireland’s Call for instance, tend to expose such exclusionist tribal narratives.
O’Brien’s visionary dream has perhaps never been more apt. President Michael D Higgins provided an appropriate contemporary framework through his oration at the University of Ulster (on April 24th) when he spoke of the need for “the unfulfilled future of the past with all its emancipatory promise to be made available as an instrument for the future” while noting that “as we all learn to live on this island in peace and partnership, we must also look forward and plan for a shared future; one which fully includes all people regardless of their social class, community affiliation or ethnic identity.” – Yours, etc,