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1 October 2010

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Letter to the Taoiseach

HOW are things, Taoiseach after the Fianna Fáil drink-in - sorry, think-in?
Did you see Michael McDowell on ‘Ireland’s Greatest’ on RTÉ? His great man is none other than Michael Collins but this has not impressed our North Belfast Councillor Conor Maskey who tweeted afterwards “Michael McDowell will always exist as an inconsistent, weak-willed and revisionist west-Brit wannabe.” A trifle unfair, don’t you think, but Conor Murphy further advised young Maskey: “Don’t hold back, let it all out!” There was no word of Twitter in Michael Collins’s day but McDowell is good at twitting if not tweeting.
Talking of great men, Brian, can I sell you a limited edition print of Joe McGarrity from Carrickmore who left his native place to travel to Philadelphia in search of work in the early 1890s.
A mere teenager, McGarrity went on to become one of the most important figures in the Irish revolutionary movements in America. He joined Clan na Gael and spent the rest of his life and several fortunes in the cause of Ireland. I believe that the IRA used his name to sign important statements they issued during the 1950s campaign. So you can understand why people in our part of the world are very proud of him and this is more than a shameless piece of promotion.
Anyway, £40 (or its near equivalent in euros) will do the trick if you want to purchase one of the 110 prints which connect McGarrity to the 1916 Rising and which are very tastefully presented. You did invite people recently to begin thinking about how we might commemorate 1916, after all, so I am simply briefing you on a wee local initiative in Carrickmore.

DID I tell you about Garda Susan who stopped me on the M50 Southbound at Junction 11 the other week? Think she saw the Northern registration. Sirened me in and when asked to explain her action she said: “I can stop anyone I like.” On further investigation, she told me that she has no call to explain why and does not need any legislative basis.
Bit peculiar, what do you reckon? My Republic would be for citizens, not subjects, Brian.

AND finally for this month, Taoiseach, what about Tyrone Minors and Tyrone Ladies?
Keeps us up there and both have done the county proud in a year when Mickey Harte’s men perhaps under-achieved by their own high standards. Down nearly made it but fair play to Cork. Neither can match Tyrone’s achievement because, between ourselves and Kerry, we have 39 All-Irelands. Just for the record.

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