I see that in this week's Metro Éireann, Labour's Dublin City Councillor Aodhán Ó Riordáin refers to the late PUP leader David Ervine as "a hero of mine". And "someone that I hope will become regarded as a founding father of a peaceful Ireland". He describes Ervine as "so special", his words so "uplifting and inspiring".
No, I'm not making this up.
WorldByStorm did a good piece about Ervine's death, and how he was eulogised by the same people (especially down south) who regularly dismiss republicans as barely reconstructed terrorists. Including the Labour Party. I don't need to repeat anything said there.
But one thing I would like to know is this: will Aodhán be mentioning this view while he's out on the canvass in his North Inner City constituency? Or will he be relying on the fact that working class Dubs don't read Metro Éireann, and are unlikely ever to hear of his hero-worship of a former loyalist paramilitary who headed up a party devoted to maintaining British rule in this country?
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3 comments:
Depressing stuff really. If this is the level of political analysis in Labour... Aodhán appears to be a nice guy in person the one or two times I met him in the constituency, but he like many of his fellows in the Labour party appear to be unable to distinguish between (largely) rhetorical achievements as distinct from real achievements in the Peace Process. Sure, Ervine propped up the UUP at a specific point in 1998 when it was necessary. Fair dues. But by any scale of effort and sacrifice his was much lesser than others we could name. And really, for Ó Riordáin to be coming out with this partisan and sentimental nonsense is dispiriting.
Mind you, I know someone else who was close to the Quinn regime also from the constituency whose near pathological hatred of SF was unbelievable. Only matched, in truth by their pathological hatred of the former DL members of Labour.
Wednesday
DE was sadly the only example of a new type of Unionist/LOyalist who had come through paramilitarism to genuine committed class politics. Although I did not aree with him, he signalled a new hope for realism in Unionism. I hoped we would see thousands of articulate Ulster prods like him. Sadly, we won't. And that is a loss to all of us, including you and those who think like you.
Hi Jo
My views about David Ervine can be found in my reply on WorldByStorm's page, which I linked to in this post.
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