"Take
it down from the mast Irish traitors, it's the flag
we republicans claim", so runs the lyric of
the anti-treatyist ditty. I look to the recent disturbance
in Dublin for a more contemporary interpretation
of the sentiments expressed in the song.
When Protestant Irishmen and women of the Orange
tradition chose to exercise their right of public
protest and to petition the Republic Of Ireland
government to address grievances, they were denied
by sectarian bigots who stood under the Green White
and Orange. I draw attention to the discrepancy
between what the flag purports to represent and
how it is all too often used. The fact that this
banner is claimed and vaunted by those who would
deny their fellow Irishmen their rights, flies in
the face of all that the original republican movement
stood for. Surely the authentic republican ethos
demands that accommodation of "the other side"
should be not only permitted, but encouraged. As
I see it, it is the anti-republicans who would deny
freedom of assembly. It is anti-republicans who
would deny freedom to protest. I accuse them of
using fascist tactics and rhetoric to foment discord
between Irishmen as "Pervidious Albion",
Protestant religious fanatics and Catholic bigots
have used over and over again. It was clearly an
anti-republican element on the streets of Dublin
that day. Am I alone in seeing irony in the pictures
of purported republicans sporting orange in their
masks and flags while attacking supporters of the
Union whose colour is orange? This fascist repressive
behavior happened around the statue of Jim Larkin;
more irony. The protestors were denied passage past
the GPO where the proclamation establishing the
rights of Catholic, Protestant and Dissenter culminated
in bloody conflict; more irony. Religious bigotry
has no place in republicanism. Wolf Tone, Thomas
Russell, Putnam McCabe, Henry Joy McCracken, Bagenal
Harvey, Robert Emmett, Anthony Perry, republicans
all, and Protestants all. The final irony.
I am an Irishman of the Orange tradition and proudly
so. To all those republicans who refuse full acceptance
of the orange tradition as part of your nation I
say, to deny us our place in Ireland is to deny
the essence of the founding of the republic and
by your own definition you are found wanting. If
you wish to persuade the Orange majority that joining
you in your country is a good idea, I suggest you
start by living up to republican principles of Liberty,
Equality, Fraternity! You may find a number who
are open to persuasion as the British government
continues with its long term exit strategy. But
any rhetoric must be measured against action and
any progress for your cause is easily measured.
When an Orange lodge is invited to participate in
some festivity or other instead of vitriol and insult,
offer the sincere hand of friendship and hospitality,
it will signal an acceptance of our residency here
and start to remove the chill in that "cold
house for Protestants".
So I pose the question, if you would deny us a room
in your house, why have you added our name to the
lease…then why is my colour on your flag? It
doesn't happen often that the Orange brothers look
to exercise their rights in the republic and when
it happens again, as it undoubtedly will, I hope
the real republicans show up to drown out the ersatz
kind and that acceptance and accommodation will
be forthcoming so the true meaning of the green,
white and orange is made a reality.
