Fine Gael TD and MEP Gay Mitchell is THE Southern
nationalist politician any Unionist can now do business
with – whether we have Stormont or nothing
by 24 November.
At
last the penny is dropping in some sections of the
broad republican family that their future lies by
rejoining the British Commonwealth of Nations with
Good Queen Bess as the head buck cat.
Gay
certainly rattled a few nationalist cages with his
visionary speech at this year's annual Collins-Griffith
Memorial at Glasnevin Cemetery.
In
one fell swoop – or innovative address in this
case – Gay landed himself the glorious title
of Unionism's favourite nationalist. Why? Because
he's demonstrated clear forward thinking that in
any 32-county format, you can't simply push one
million Unionists off the peer at Larne harbour.
From
his lofty position in the European Parliament, he's
in a prime spot to see the lucrative cash gravy
train which the Republic has enjoyed for a generation
is about to come thundering off the rails.
Its
time for the Celtic Tiger to face some harsh realities.
With all these poor ex-commie countries clamouring
for EU membership, the European dosh is rapidly
drying up.
Within
the next few years, the South can expect to be a
heavy giver of cash to the EU to bolster up some
the social security sponging nations flocking to
jump on the bandwagon of euro handouts.
Then
there's the massive bill the South will face if
Stormont falls flat on its face. Does Leinster House
seriously believe the Brits alone will pick up the
annual £9 billion tab for running the North
if joint authority is implemented?
Since
the late Sixties, Unionists have bathed in the luxury
of feuding and bitter internecine warfare happily
content to believe the myth no British Government
would ever sell so-called 'Loyal Ulster' to the
Republic.
Southern
nationalism is taking a huge political gamble in
preparing for joint authority – and its a risk
which could skin the Celtic Tiger alive. What happens
if joint authority becomes the very medicine to
heal the supposedly incurable rifts within Unionism
and Loyalism?
Joint
authority could well be the shock treatment which
mobilises a unity among Northern Prods not seen
since the monster Ulster Says No rallies of the
late 1980s.
Then
there's the added expense of having to deal with
religious fundamentalists. Leading Dublin-based
moderate muslim Sheikh Dr Shaheed Satardien has
already warned of "an ocean of extremism"
spreading among muslims throughout Ireland.
And
in the North, many Prod fundamentalists may be tempted
to launch their own Loyalist jihad against the South
in retaliation for increased Dublin rule via the
House on Haunted Hill, namely the plush new £6
million Notting Hill complex.
So
Bertie, which is the lesser of the two evils threatening
the Republic? Do you want bombed by the Southern
Koran-thumping Islamic radicals, or blown up by
the Northern Bible-thumping Prod fundamentalists?
Let
me offer some advice, Bertie. Remember the horrific
slaughter of the '74 Dublin and Monaghan no-warning
Loyalist car bombs?
Then
do what you can to get Big Ian into the Executive
with the Shinners; sell Notting Hill and use the
cash to round up all the radicals Dr Satardien is
warning about.
And
if you want to talk about withdrawal, then get Dublin's
ass out of the EU before you have an Enoch Powell-style
confrontation between jobless Irish workers and
the thousands of east European migrant workers flooding
the island.
