O’Conall Street

It has taken David Ford and the Alliance Party to ensure the Assembly gets a full debate on the outcome of the Varney Report today. His motion is the first parliamentary response to arguably one of the most important and potentially damaging reports to the Northern economy in the past decade. It’s good to see the Alliance showing some leadership on the issue but only highlights the collective failure of the big two political parties to deliver on a lower corporation tax which bodies like the ICAI have worked so hard to keep on the agenda.

Another bad week for Bertie Ahern looms. The most successful Taoiseach in modern time risks loosing it all if proper explanations are not provided. Weekend reports of senior cabinet colleagues including Brian Cowen meeting with him over the weekend will fuel speculation that we are at the beginning of the end. I hope for the country’s sake Ahern and Fianna Fail move quickly to ensure their is a proper and orderly transition. Nobody wants to see a popular Taoiseach run out of office in scandal and the only way of preventing that may well be to leave early.

Celitc - Rangers and Clifonville - Linfield do not enjoy a huge following on O’Conall Street. When news emerged on Saturday afternoon of a sectarian attack by a bigoted mob on a young catholic man in Belfast city centre the shadow of the ‘old firm’ inspired assault crept over the city. It should be a thing of the past. Like the posting of a live bullet to the Cliftonville manager earlier in the week it reminds us all of the generations of work ahead to rid this island of sectarianism.

The Dubs were denied their big day in Crossmaglen yesterday when the match was called off just thirty minutes before throw in. The referee left nine thousand fans to turn around at the very last minute. Sometimes these things are unavoidable but surely Croke Park will be thinking today that things can surely be done better.

Off to the official launch of the 40th anniversary of the civil rights campaign in Northern Ireland this evening in the Linenhall Library, Belfast. In 1968, a series of events took place here which changed the face of Northern Ireland irrevocably.

These events were the culmination of attempts since the early 1960s by a number of different organisations and individuals to highlight injustices in Northern Ireland.  The Campaign for Social Justice, the Derry Housing Action Committee and the Campaign for Democracy in Ulster were examples of this.  Their concern was not with the great constitutional issues which had dominated political debate thereto, but with the everyday issues which dominated people’s lives. In 1967, the Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association was founded to address all these issues. The following year, inspired by the courage of Civil Rights leaders in the United States, and by their example of peaceful non-violent protest, Civil Rights protesters began to take to the streets of Northern Ireland. Their objective was to bring an end to injustice in the system of public authority housing provision, injustice in public and private employment practices, injustice in voting and representational rights, and the arbitrary and oppressive powers available to the state to suppress dissent.

The things that happened during that pivotal year had a profound effect upon our society, and precipitated an avalanche of change which left no part of our community untouched.  Such was the importance of these events, and what they led to, that it is appropriate and even necessary, 40 years later, to commemorate them in a sober and reflective way, to seek to learn from what happened, to consider the significance of the Civil Rights Movement for our society today and the continuing resonance of the issues which it addressed, and the ideals which underpinned it.

A number of those who were active in leadership positions in the Civil Rights Movement in 1968, have established a broadly based NI Civil Rights Commemoration Committee to commemorate the events of 1968 in such a way as to serve the historical record as best they can, and to generate a balanced and inclusive reflection upon that year. 

Their objectives are:

• To honour the courage all those who took part in the Civil Rights movement.

• To examine the civil rights challenges at home and abroad today especially racism and sectarianism in Ireland and the need to build a tolerant and inclusive society throughout the island.

• To support and strengthen the protection of civil/human rights throughout Ireland and to share the lessons of the Northern Ireland Civil Rights movement with people working for human rights in situations of conflict.

• To explore the legacy of civil rights through documentation, conferences and other events.

• To reflect on the achievement of civil rights movement as an example of non-violent and peaceful change.

• To commemorate the shared/contested history of civil rights on a cross community basis.

My Dad, now gone from this earth,  joined many of the marches and demonstrations as a young man. He was just one of tens of thousands mobilised by the simple call for equality and social justice.
The Committee is planning a programme of events which will mark the major milestones of the civil rights campaign, such as the ‘Caledon Squatting’, the first Civil Rights March from Coalisland to Dungannon and the enormous demonstration in Derry on November 19th, 1968.

These will include:

• Historical lectures
• Cross Community Platforms on Civil Rights
• Schools Programme
• Exhibitions
• The Role of Women in Civil Rights
• McCluskey Civil Rights Summer School
• Seminars and international conferences to commemorate Caledon Squatting’, the first Civil Rights March from Coalisland to Dungannon, 5 October Duke Street in Derry March.

The Commemoration Committee includes as many of those who were active in positions of leadership in 1968, as it has been possible to reach to date. It is chaired by former SDLP MLA, Denis Haughey.  The others involved as patrons and committee members are: Michael Farrell,Vice Chair, Fionnbarra O’Dochartaigh Treasurer, Frank McManus Vice Treasurer, Mrs. Jean Coyle, Mr Paul Grace, Dr Con McCluskey, Mr Fred Heatley, Mrs Patricia McCluskey, Mrs Bernadette McAliskey, Professor Kader Asmal, Rev Terence McCaughey, Professor Kevin Boyle, Sen. Mary Kathleen O’Doherty King, Mr Michael Canavan, Mr Paul Rose, Dr Anthony Coughlan, Mr Claude Wilton, Prof. Paul Arthur, Ms Dympna McGlade, Prof. Paul Bew,  Mr Michael McKeown, Cllr Ivan Barr, Mr Aidan McKinney, Mr Francie Brolly MLA, Mr Michael McLaughlin, Mr Ivan Cooper, Mr Terry McLaughlin, Mr Austin Currie, Mr Frank McManus, Mr James Doherty, Mr Kevin McNamara, Mr Paddy ‘Bogside’ Doherty, Mr Rory McShane, Ms Ann Devlin, Mr Fionnbarra O’Dochartaigh, Ms Padraigin Drinan, Mr Seamus O Tuathail SC, Prof. Henry Patterson, Prof. Sean Farren, Dr Eamon Phoenix, Mr Michael Halpenny, Ms Brid Rodgers, Ms Brid Ruddy, Mr John Hume, Ms Edwina Stewart, Mr Hugh Logue, Cllr James McGarvey,  Mr Vinnie McCormack, Dr. Raymond McClean, Mrs Sheila McClean, Ms Margaret McCluskey   

South Down is a beautiful place. Driving from Belfast the Mourne Mountains soon arrive on the horizon inviting you to explore. By the time you get to Dundrum bay a detour for Castlewellan sets things up nicely for another beautiful drive down into Newcastle. My wife’s family are from these parts and I am no stranger to the mountains and their wonderful journey down to the sea.

Today was no different except the sight that greeted me In Castlewellan was sad and to be honest depressing. There is not a lamp post in the town without at tricolour flying from it. Not a single one. Whoever put them up must be having a serious crisis of identity. Their is a republican March in Newcastle also today. Can’t tell you if the organisers thought it essential to dress the town in green white and gold because I don’t need to parade to be Irish nor do I need to have a flag on every corner to declare my identity. I hate the flying of union jacks all summer just as much.

Next time I hear a republican politician on all angry about loyalist flag flying I hope they acknowledge there is much work to be done on their side too. What a terrible pity on the tenth anniversary of the agreement and a week after a very good and non political St Patrick’s festival.

I didn’t wake up on Good Friday 1998. I didn’t need to. Nobody had slept in the SDLP negotiating team since Wednesday night. The Mitchell deadline of a deal by Thursday had come and gone but change was in the air and nobody was going home until the job was done.

I had been the SDLP’s Director of Communications since November 1996 and by now was well established with the party’s negotiating team and the press. During 1998 many of us got to know the doyennes of world journalism as they dropped in to be part of history and the agreement. We also built strong and deep relationships with the local press on these islands. Relationships I still treasure today. 

This is a story of two days, a divided and difficult one for unionism during which the UUP haemorrhaged good people but carried on with courage to allow, as Seamus Mallon put it, the beginning of the new beginning to begin. On the other hand it was a day of absolute achievement for the SDLP. The fulfilment of step one of John Hume’s historic mission to change three sets of relationship - between the people of Northern Ireland, the relationship between north and south and finally the historic conflict between the British and Irish states.

The internal divisions within the UUP were affecting the dynamics of the talks and created a stop start atmosphere at times. Sen George Mitchell as always was masterful as were the Taoiseach and Prime Minister, maintaining focus and honing in, bit by bit on the critical issues. The SDLP had been carrying the weight of the talks for nationalism from day one. Right up to Good Friday Sinn Fein would only really engage in Strand 2, North - South issues, which left Mallon, Hume, Durkan, Rodgers, Farren and the rest of the team to negotiate everything else by themselves. If you are ever wondering who to thank for the new beginning in policing, the power sharing executive, the equality protections and guarantees or the North - South Ministerial Council I suggest you shake an SDLP negotiators hand. By the middle of the night it was apparent that agreement was possible. Brid Rodgers hugged a colleague though the blinds and was captured on TV. This was the first sign the media had that we were on the way. Mo popped in (minus wig) for a cuppa. The time had come to say thanks and share a story or two. 

Breakfast came and the staff in the canteen put on their best show. Their were table cloths and salmon and scrambled eggs on the menu. Hume’s favourite and what a perfect way to say thanks. During breakfast I got called from the White House, ‘could Mr Hume take a call from the President?’ . We found a quiet space and he did. ‘Thank you said Bill Clinton, thank you for everything you have done and for never giving up’. When Hume returned with the news it put more than a couple of smiles on the tired faces.

After breakfast the radio and TV news shows. Mallon, Hume and I walked into the perfect spring morning to tour the portable studios and outside broadcast points. They did 25 live broadcasts between them. Aine Lawlor’s RTE interview with John sticks in my mind. He opened it with the words ‘this will be a very good, Good Friday’.

The SDLP delegation room began to fill up during the morning. Partners and spouses joined us. It was their achievement too. They had kept our real lives going during months of talks and endless trips. Pat Hume was adamant we have red roses - the symbol of social democracy - to wear. My wife, Joanne and several others were dispatched to scour East Belfast for as many red roses converted to lapelle flowers as possible. They returned with a box full and wondering if the shops would have been happy to sell them if they knew who would be wearing them and why. The hour or two before the final ceremony were a little weird. The loos were full of grown men taking builders showers and changing suits. The final wording of the agreement was being printed off and passed around. Everyone wanted their’s signed. Our corridor which housed the SDLP, SF and Irish Government delegations was buzzing with congratulations.

Formalities over, we lined up to speak to the press. The PMs went first then us, I think. Ahern said ‘this is a day we should treasure, a day when agreement and accommodation have taken the place of difference and division’. Hume called for the work to continue ‘ once in a generation does an opportunity like this come along, an opportunity to resolve our deep and tragic conflict’. The press conference on the steps of Castle Buildings went on for twenty minutes. The SDLP spoke in English, Irish, French and Spanish and at the end instead of the usual walk away their was applause, sustained applause from the several hundred journalists who decided they wanted to honour and thank the peacemakers. The walk to the OB units was surreal. It is not often that the press hug politicians and even more rare that they cry tears of joy in their company. That day, Good Friday 1998, the dye was cast. These islands had changed and in the words of Seamus Heaney; hope and history rhymed.

The SDLP negotiating team was chaired by Brid Rodgers and lead by Seamus Mallon and of course John Hume was always there for the heavy lifting and the inspirational guidance. It included Mark Durkan, Sean Farren, Denis Haughey, Alex Attwood and Eddie McGrady. Also playing a role were Tommy Gallagher, Patsy McGlone, Alban McGuinness, Frank Feely, Dorita Field (most pictured above in the SDLP rooms during the morning) as well as all the delgates elected to the furum in 1995. Eilis Haughey, Tim Attwood, Gerry Cosgrove, Catherine Matthews and myself, Conall McDevitt, provided the support. That day changed all our lives and remains one of the proudest of my life.

Many across Ireland will be glad to hear that John and Pat Hume’s car crash yesterday evening was not a serious one and that we can look forward to seeing them both up and about very soon.

This St Patrick’s weekend all our elder statesmen are making the news. Big Ian is calling for St Patrick’s day to me made an official public holiday in Northern Ireland and Seamus Mallon is in the Sunday Tribune which reports on his opposition to a FF - SDLP merger. Martin is in the states drumming up support for the investment conference. As for his southern colleagues in government, you’ll find them anywhere but here on home turf. The annual sales show on our big day is well underway. I fully support them. For one day a year our small island is the talk of the globe. No better time to try and build commercial and diplomatic relations.

I’m off for a trot around Belfast in the sun. Vic square looks great and the preparations for tomorrow’s parade have passed without controversy. Enjoy the day off (and I hope you do have a day off) and remember you can always join the celebrations in Second Life.

El Alamo is nestled in the heart of Texas. The famous last stand of a band of brothers and this week Hillary’s own. Very late in the day some eminent advocates for the former first lady have piled in with their own Black Eyed Peas appeal to the wavering Democrats in Ohio and Texas.

Big Stephen at Weber Shandwick had this one ready for me on my return from the Western Front. The lad’s (Feraghal O’Boyle, Ronan O’Brien, David Leach, Fiachra O’Brien, Michael McLoughlin, Aidan Culhane and myself) are back at the day job with a weekend full of memories. Somehow youth has never seemed more precious and war more tragic. This is not the time to take a position on any particular conflict but it is worth remembering that for every 100 soldiers in an army today less then five will fight on the front line. Back in 1916 90 would have experienced the sharp end of close quarter fighting.

At the Menin Gate last night at 8.00pm the local fire brigade sounded the last post as they have done every night since Nov 11th 1918. Only Hitler interrupted them for a brief few years, but the day the Nazi’s left the firemen returned. They will be there tonight and tomorrow night again remembering those who gave their tomorrow’s so we can have our today’s.