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Did Anyone Notice Yesterday?
I realised last weekend but managed to forget about it all day yesterday. Yesterday was 28th September: Ulster Day - the 93rd anniversary of the signing of the Ulster Solemn League and Covenant throughout Ulster, signifying the people of Ulster's opposition to the plans for Home Rule being introduced; an act that would see Ulster under the control of a Dublin parliament. There's more on the covenant at Wikipedia.
In most other places in the world a day as significant as this in the history of a country, significant enough for Rudyard Kipling to write the poem "Ulster" would be marked as a national holiday and celebrated. In Northern Ireland it is conveniently ignored. It should be a public holiday.
Follow up:
I realise it would be a challenge to keep the celebrations free from being overrun by sectarian elements, but if celebrated in the right way it could be a great occasion. I feel it would act as something to give the people here back some level of confidence in their identity (admittedly, probably largely the Unionist community but if that imbalance can be addressed then all the better!)
Lord Carson, for example, was a great man, much greater than any of the Unionist leaders of today. Yet how many folk actually know much about him? This could be a great opportunity to ensure that young people learn that there is more to their history and culture and identity than a continuous tribal war.
28th September - Ulster Day.
As the 100th anniversary approaches it's even more important that the events of that day are not forgotten.
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12 comments
Comment from: Mark Mulholland [Visitor] · http://www.orchidlingerie.com
Not sure I agree with your calling for a public holiday. Possibly ignored now as it no longer relates to todays society. Under the surface many people dont care which nation they are part of as long as we have the financial stability. Being a part of the Republic would seriously undermine the ecomomy in the short to medium term. I am a protestant yes but a Unionist not particularily. I believe myself to be an Irishman living as UK Citizen , sadly for a lot of people that must make me odd or something. I just dont have hangups about all the political nonsense going back to Carson.
29 Oct 2005 @ 21:16
Comment from: Paul [Visitor] · http://www.nimagyar.blogspot.com
Carson was one of the very few Unionist visionaries, Trimble, in time will be recognised as another. This is what Carson said in 1922:
“We used to say that we could not trust an Irish parliament in Dublin to do justice to the Protestant minority, Let us take care that that reproach can no longer be made against your parliament, and from the outset let them see that the Catholic minority have nothing to fear from a Protestant majority.â€
Unfortunately nobody was listening.
“We used to say that we could not trust an Irish parliament in Dublin to do justice to the Protestant minority, Let us take care that that reproach can no longer be made against your parliament, and from the outset let them see that the Catholic minority have nothing to fear from a Protestant majority.â€
Unfortunately nobody was listening.
29 Oct 2005 @ 22:23
Comment from: bertie [Visitor]
Agree about Carson. He wanted NI to have all the counties of Ulster so that the RC minority would not be as small and he considered that that would make for a healthier society.
I can't disagree more about Trimble!
I can't disagree more about Trimble!
29 Oct 2005 @ 22:54
Paul you're right and that's exactly why I think it would do us all well for young people to learn more about him. The fact that it's taken nearly 100 years and plenty of Unionists still haven't got around to that realisation is depressing.
Mark - America has Independence Day, Canada has Canada Day (1st July), France has Bastille day etc etc. Ulster Day was effectively the day that led to the birth of Northern Ireland and I think it's only fitting that it should be a holiday. I realise it would be difficult verging on the impossible to make this politically neutral but I think it would be nice.
For what it's worth: try as I might, I can't see myself as an Irishman.
Mark - America has Independence Day, Canada has Canada Day (1st July), France has Bastille day etc etc. Ulster Day was effectively the day that led to the birth of Northern Ireland and I think it's only fitting that it should be a holiday. I realise it would be difficult verging on the impossible to make this politically neutral but I think it would be nice.
For what it's worth: try as I might, I can't see myself as an Irishman.
30 Oct 2005 @ 01:30
Comment from: aonghus [Visitor]
Just out of interest: I had the impression that Carson regarded the setting up of NI as a failure, and turned his back on political Unionism after 1922 - the quote above seems to back that up
"Let us take care that that reproach can no longer be made against your parliament"
Or am I off the mark?
Given that the covenant led to setting up the UVF and gun running, I think it is as unsuitable as a public holiday North or South as any such divisive occasion.
For the record, I'm not too happy either about Bertie reintroducing a military parade to commemerate 1916.
"Let us take care that that reproach can no longer be made against your parliament"
Or am I off the mark?
Given that the covenant led to setting up the UVF and gun running, I think it is as unsuitable as a public holiday North or South as any such divisive occasion.
For the record, I'm not too happy either about Bertie reintroducing a military parade to commemerate 1916.
30 Oct 2005 @ 20:40
Comment from: aonghus [Visitor]
" in using all means which may be found necessary to defeat the present conspiracy"
This is a call to rebel in arms against what was a democratically passed act of parliament.
This is a call to rebel in arms against what was a democratically passed act of parliament.
30 Oct 2005 @ 20:45
Comment from: howard [Visitor]
My grandad refused to sign.
Law-abiding unionst, he.
Law-abiding unionst, he.
30 Oct 2005 @ 22:03
aonghus - you could be right, or he could simply have been a democrat and subconsciously hought of the parliament as belonging to the people. Undoubtedly partition was not Carson's first choice - and you could well be right about giving up on politics and/or unionism; I'm afraid I'm as guilty as the next man of not knowing enough about him.
Aognhus, yes it was in the end a call to arms if the politicians in the government of the UK and the Irish negotiators between them conspired to deny a people their right to self-determination. I'm curious if you also feel that the Easter Rising should be forgotten since it led commemorates an opportunistic, violent (and, I believe, pointless given that Home Rule was almost guaranteed anyway) uprising where many lost their lives. But at the end of the day it led to the foundation of the Southern Irish state.
Aognhus, yes it was in the end a call to arms if the politicians in the government of the UK and the Irish negotiators between them conspired to deny a people their right to self-determination. I'm curious if you also feel that the Easter Rising should be forgotten since it led commemorates an opportunistic, violent (and, I believe, pointless given that Home Rule was almost guaranteed anyway) uprising where many lost their lives. But at the end of the day it led to the foundation of the Southern Irish state.
30 Oct 2005 @ 23:17
Comment from: Mark Mulholland [Visitor] · http://www.orchidlingerie.com
Beano,
I do understand where you are coming from. I do consider myself British and Im proud of it. However Im not in the slightest bit offended when someone calls me an Irishman. After all its not the worst insult that could be levelled at any of us.
I truly believe at this late stage in the game that the only true way to give all the population of N. Ireland a singular identity would be to have an independant country. That however is simply not practical.
I do understand where you are coming from. I do consider myself British and Im proud of it. However Im not in the slightest bit offended when someone calls me an Irishman. After all its not the worst insult that could be levelled at any of us.
I truly believe at this late stage in the game that the only true way to give all the population of N. Ireland a singular identity would be to have an independant country. That however is simply not practical.
31 Oct 2005 @ 00:35
Comment from: aonghus [Visitor]
I don't think 1916 should be forgotten. I just don't think a military parade is the most appropriate way of commemerating it.
I think St Patricks day, which Protestant, Dissenter and Catholic can each identify with, is a wise choice of National Day.
I disagree that Home Rule was a foregone conclusion - I believe there was a conspiracy to prevent it - see the Curragh Mutiny, Churchill senior's "playing the orange card" etc. Home Rule would have been an Act of Parliament, as the act of Union in 1800 was.
However, I do believe 1916 would have failed if the British authorities had reacted differently - internment in Frongoch created the IRA of the War of independence, and killing the leaders of 1916 created martyrs.
But whatifery will not help. We are where we are. Indentity is a complicated thing.
But I see a difference between the 1916 volunteers who marched openly in uniform (and the UVF of that time), and bombers of whatever political colour in the more recent past.
I think St Patricks day, which Protestant, Dissenter and Catholic can each identify with, is a wise choice of National Day.
I disagree that Home Rule was a foregone conclusion - I believe there was a conspiracy to prevent it - see the Curragh Mutiny, Churchill senior's "playing the orange card" etc. Home Rule would have been an Act of Parliament, as the act of Union in 1800 was.
However, I do believe 1916 would have failed if the British authorities had reacted differently - internment in Frongoch created the IRA of the War of independence, and killing the leaders of 1916 created martyrs.
But whatifery will not help. We are where we are. Indentity is a complicated thing.
But I see a difference between the 1916 volunteers who marched openly in uniform (and the UVF of that time), and bombers of whatever political colour in the more recent past.
31 Oct 2005 @ 12:12
" I don't think 1916 should be forgotten. I just don't think a military parade is the most appropriate way of commemerating it."
Wouldn't necessarily argue with that - but I still believe Ulster Day should be similarly remembered (by the way I know I'm fighting a lost cause but this is my blog and if I want to live in an idealist's bubble I will!
)
"But I see a difference between the 1916 volunteers who marched openly in uniform (and the UVF of that time), and bombers of whatever political colour in the more recent past."
Definitely agree on that one.
Wouldn't necessarily argue with that - but I still believe Ulster Day should be similarly remembered (by the way I know I'm fighting a lost cause but this is my blog and if I want to live in an idealist's bubble I will!
)"But I see a difference between the 1916 volunteers who marched openly in uniform (and the UVF of that time), and bombers of whatever political colour in the more recent past."
Definitely agree on that one.
31 Oct 2005 @ 12:29
Comment from: aonghus [Visitor]
Ideally we'll find ways to celebrate the good in each others versions of history - bravery, loyalty, etc., while not forgetting the hurt.
Now there's idealism!
But I think the State needs to be careful what it officially celebrates.
Now there's idealism!
But I think the State needs to be careful what it officially celebrates.
31 Oct 2005 @ 21:01
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