‘Whataboutery’ is rampant in Ireland. I want to indulge in some myself. I want to ask “what about the ‘unheard’”? Who are they? Do they exist?

In the interest of transparency it should be mentioned that I am a Sinn Féin voter. However, the views expressed are my own. I occasionally use ‘we’ or ‘us’ but I am a Dubliner and have never lived in the north of Ireland. These views are merely intended to encourage discussion. They do not reflect red line positions of mine on any aspect of the issues mentioned.

In this article the term ‘Nationalists’ will encompass nationalists and republicans, and the term ‘Unionists’ will encompass unionists and loyalists, in the six counties of the north of Ireland that are deemed to be part of the United Kingdom. I will also refer to the 6 counties as ‘the north’ thus avoiding ‘the occupied 6 counties’ and ‘Ulster’, both terms which are irritating to one side or the other. The word ‘fundamentalist’ shall refer to hardliners of either side. Please allow some latitude for generalisations so as not to get bogged down in the kind of petty arguments that have dogged intelligent discourse about the north for nearly 100 years.

The factions involved in deciding whether or not we have a United Ireland appear clearly defined. The majority of Nationalists want a United Ireland although some would vote to remain part of the United Kingdom. The majority of Unionists want to remain in the UK although some would vote for a United Ireland. (Polls show that the latter ‘some’ is increasing because of the utter mess known as Brexit). The extent of each group’s aspirations can often be easily discovered simply by the passion/vitriol with which they express themselves….

One wet night over 30 years ago I saw graffiti in a London establishment’s Men’s facilIty (a pub jax on a rainy night in Soho) which stated in beautiful, flowing English that: “THE QUEEN IS A HORE”. Some other gentleman who was obviously upset by the spelling error appended: “”WHORE”, YOU IRISH P***K”. A third person drew a circle around this passionate interaction and added his tuppence worth which read: “CAPTAIN’S LOG, STAR DATE: 09.12.1987. THERE IS NO SANE LIFE HERE.”

This delightful interaction could be used as an analogy for the mentality of, and interactions of fundamentalists from both sides. Fundamentalists such as the unionist who ranted and raved about Munster rugby supporters brazenly displaying a balaclava-wearing image on their province’s flag. Of course it was not a balaclava-wearing anything, merely the province’s actual symbol which when the wind is blowing a certain way causing the flag to adopt a specific creased formation might look like a balaclava-wearing image. It also requires the mind of a paranoid loon to see that image in such an utterly innocent flag regardless of the wind or the creases or whatever. I read a republican fundamentalist on social media who was demanding that sterling should not be accepted in the north and that only the punt is legal tender. When I pointed out that (a) we no longer use the punt in Ireland (notwithstanding Munster rugby matches) and (b) the whole discussion is about a United Ireland which would negate the requirement for sterling, this genius, after some consideration, told me to “F*ck off, you west Brit bollox”. I was hurt for days afterwards.

The point is we have all seen or heard or read this type of fundamentalist clap-trap. It is not helpful in any way, shape or form especially when one considers that these morons are serious – in some cases deadly serious in the literal sense.

The next type of grouping contains people who are strongly aligned to political parties. By ‘strongly aligned’ I mean people who not only vote for their chosen party but who canvass, attend meetings, are card-carrying members etc. Many Nationalists would say the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) should be included with the fundamentalists mentioned earlier. My own bias would dictate the same sentiment. Nevertheless, a cold and dispassionate look at the DUP makes it very difficult for them to be seen any other way. The leaders of this party appear to be living in a time long past – the era of the British Empire. It appears to be lost on them that in poll after poll a large majority of British people couldn’t care less about the north and understand very little about its history. The only conclusion I can arrive at regarding the DUP’s continuing desire to be part of a nation that clearly doesn’t want them is that the Union is not really the most important issue to them at all. Some Liverpool FC fans hate Manchester United more than they love LFC, and vice versa. In a similar way, the DUP’s hatred for anything remotely associated with the south of Ireland far outweighs their apparent love of the Union – a love not dissimilar to that of a battered husband or wife who keeps going back to their abusive spouse hoping the latter will change – they never change. This is supported by the fact that the DUP have gone against the wishes of the majority of people in the north by supporting Brexit. They are willing to push the north into even worse penury just to avoid being in any way associated with the rest of Ireland’s EU status and, they argue, to be treated identically to the UK (but not when it comes to same sex marriage or abortion). I call it selective martyrdom. Unfortunately, it’s all the citizens of the north who will suffer after the Tories £1bn bribe to the DUP.

Leaving aside the DUP leadership’s variety of unionism, Unionists are absolute in their conviction that they belong in the north of Ireland as British citizens. They are right.

Sinn Féin supporters are somewhat different because we think we hold the moral high ground. I’m not referring to paramilitary atrocities on either side but rather I’m referring to the ideological moral high ground. Nothing will ever change us in believing Ireland was colonised and that resulted in one part of society becoming second-class citizens in their own country. We will never change because those are historical and indisputable facts. Ultimately, and most relevantly in this article, every single Nationalist, by definition, wants a United Ireland.

So, there’s the problem. Nationalists, whose biggest representative party is Sinn Féin, want a United Ireland, while a very large majority of Unionists, whose biggest representative party is the DUP, want to remain in the UK, I think.

I think.

Nationalist and Unionist fundamentalists and party-aligned people have been discussed here but I believe there is a huge number of citizens in the north of Ireland who are very often ignored and who may well make up a large majority of the population. These include people who are so disillusioned they simply do not bother to vote. Those who vote for the same party over and over again because “that’s what we do in this house”. Those who vote for a party because of peer pressure and the resultant guilt if they defy their peers. Those who vote for a party simply because they could never vote for ‘themmuns’ even if themmuns achieved spectacular results for the community as a whole. I’m talking about carpenters, schoolteachers, cleaning staff, doctors, dockers, unemployed…all types of people who may think they have a voice but might be unaware that whilst they are exercising their franchise when it comes to ticking a box - they might be doing so for the wrong reasons. I’m talking about those people who are not political activists on either side of the community. I suggest they might be the majority of people. I call them the ‘unheard’.

Both sides of the community in the north need to learn about the other. Both sides need an understanding of the other. For example, I could argue convincingly that an Irish Language Act (ILA) would be a good thing for both sides of the community. I could say it’s harmless. I could say both sides of the community can learn Gaeilge (as many already do). I could point out that we already agreed to have an ILA. My coup de grace would be “sure if you lot want to be identical to the rest of Britain why not give us a Language Act like Wales and Scotland have”. Pretty convincing arguments, eh? Actually, they are not pretty convincing arguments because I have not had the decency and respect to say to the Unionist community “why do you not want us to have an Irish Language Act?” Effectively, I have made a great argument without consulting those who, for reasons I do not know because I have never asked them, may not want an ILA. This is a core point of the discourse I would like to see.

I do not want to ask the DUP why they are so opposed to an Irish Language Act or ask Sinn Féin why they want one so much because I know I’ll get a political response. I want to ask the unheard. I want to let them know why I want an ILA and I want them to tell me why (if) they do not want me to have one. I want Nationalists to listen to Unionists as human beings and vice versa. We did not come out of our mothers’ wombs with hatred in our hearts. It was taught to us. Hatred needs to be un-taught, so to speak.

It can be disheartening for both sides when we let fundamentalists be our voice. I recall when Lyra McKee was murdered. Her death’s legacy was appearing to be a united front against any and all dissidents. I imagined this would please her. A day or two later I was on social media and I read a fundamentalist saying “Sinn Féin haven’t even condemned Lyra’s murder”. I was utterly deflated because I had read countless comments on social media from Sinn Féin people utterly condemning her murder. I then realised the person who made that comment would not be ‘following’ anyone from the Nationalist side of the community, in the very same way that most Nationalists would not follow anyone from the other side. Fundamentalists aside (because let’s face it, they are all morons), maybe we could start a program where a group from the unheard of both communities agree to follow each other and see where it goes. I will leave the answers to all these questions to others..

In 1994 tensions in the north of Ireland were still running high. I was a more hardline Republican than I am now. I was in a hotel lounge on the northside of Dublin with my then partner and another couple. It was very busy as Garth Brooks was playing in the Point Depot that weekend. The four of us were sitting at a table which had room for a few more people when two couples asked (in broad northern accents) if anyone was sitting in the spare places. Between laughs we managed to say “no”. The reason we were laughing is because they were dressed from head to toe in elaborate cowboy and cowgirl outfits From the Stetsons all the way down to the spurred boots. Anyway, we shifted ourselves to make room until we ended up with us four facing the new four. One of the cowboys rolled up his sleeves and I noticed he had Union Jack tattoos on both of his arms. He saw me noticing and asked if I had a problem. I replied I would only have a problem if he made one. He just stared at me. It was tense, macho bullshit. One of the cowgirls said he should just roll down his sleeves. He hesitated, looked at me and I said “it would probably be better if you did”. Eventually he rolled down his sleeves. In the meantime the four girls were now chatting about the cowgirl outfits. As is often the case the females were far more mature than the males. One of the guys said “why can’t we talk about football?” I said “no doubt you support Linfield.” He said “Aye, in the same way you follow Celtic”. We laughed. The atmosphere relaxed and we got down to real conversation and we bought them all a drink. They couldn’t buy us one back quickly enough. We ended up having a great night with them. The four of us sang “The Sash” but only if they sang “A Nation Once Again” first. They thought it was hilarious when we changed the words to “starvation once again”. We sang and laughed and drank until the early hours of the morning. It was a rare oul time.

When we were departing the girls hugged each other and us lads shook hands. The guy with the tattoos pulled me close to him and hugged me too. As he did he said quietly “I suppose we’ll go back to hating each other now.” I replied “I suppose so.” He asked why we do that. As we had been talking about the movie The Commitments earlier in the night I thought it would be apt to reply, just like Jimmy Rabbitte looking in the mirror, “I’m f*cked if I know.”

The point is that once we got over the suspicions about each other and started chatting about ‘normal’ things we got on great. We were even able to give each other our perspectives on the north of Ireland. It was the first time either party had ever listened to the other side’s perspective. It was the first time I accepted that Unionists were as entitled to be in Ireland as much as I am. I believe that night changed me – not because we talked but because we listened to two cowboys and two cowgirls from the Unionist community of the north of Ireland – I listened to the unheard. Listening could be a key to a United Ireland. Do not dismiss the notion of a 32 county Ireland. Think 32.

Kevin O’Connor 30.07.2019 Dublin

Addendum

Yesterday evening I was amazed to see Belfast shipyard workers (traditionally a largely unionist workplace) demanding their rights as Gaeilge (in Irish). Just like the dockers and other professions I mentioned in the article, these men are part of the unheard (up to now). It was an absolute joy for me to hear them chanting as Gaeilge. Not in a triumphant way for me but in a way that made me say to myself “why shouldn’t they? It’s their language as much as mine.” Other than the usual fundamentalist morons no-one can see any bad from what those brave men did, only good. I do not expect them to be tripping over each other to vote Sinn Féin but they were polite to the Sinn Féin people, as were the Sinn Féin people towards them. Hopefully, it’s the start of something positive and new.

Kevin O’Connor 01.08.2019 Dublin