Letter to the Taoiseach

I WAS addressing Leaving Cert students from Drogheda in Room 375 of Stormont Parliament Buildings in the last couple of weeks. Actually, it’s more an Assembly than a Parliament because, as you know, Taoiseach, that is in Kildare Street. Anyway, it was great to see the students up in Stormont and both myself and Mervin Storey of the DUP made a stab at interpreting the history of the conflict in Ireland.
“I think John Hume is the greatest Irishman ever,” piped up an older lady who  accompanied the students from Drogheda. It came out of the blue. It wasn’t really relevant to the point I was making but John’s biggest fan couldn’t contain herself.
I had to deal with it. So I did, pointing out to herself that it was inappropriate for her to direct the young people what to think and that, in my townland alone, there have been at least one hundred men and the same number of women who did more for Ireland than John Hume ever did. But they are not famous. Milady went silent thereafter since this was an opportunity for the young people to be heard. And they seemed to be content with what I was saying.
Drogheda Sinn Féin Councillor Dom Wilton accompanied the group to Stormont but he had the sense to let the young people work it out for themselves. Dom was eating on the run that day and took refuge in the deputy First Minister’s office for a while because Martin himself was in America.
Taoiseach, if you know of any school groups or community groups from the 26 who want to know what went on up here, give me a shout and I will be happy to oblige. If I am available and not locked in discussions with Nelson McCausland, DUP Minister for Culture (an oxymoron if ever there was one). Nelson is more than a little confused because in one day alone at Stormont he described the Six Counties as a nation, then a country and finally a province. Two thirds of a province, maybe, but that is about the height of it.
When I see you next, remind me to tell you about the conference we had in County Down to discuss the establishment (finally) of the North/South Parliamentary Forum.
They were all there: Martin and Gerry, Margaret, Enda and the Tanaiste herself. So, too, was Pat the Cope, a good mutual friend of ours who I don’t think has yet made up his mind about whether or not he’ll contest the Donegal by-election which is needed because he left the Dáil for Europe. Confused?  Not me.