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Marking Commonwealth Day

27 March 2013 By

Irish Times – Letters, Tue, Mar 26, 2013

Sir, – I never thought I would be writing to The Irish Times defending Archbishop Sean Brady – but really Tom Cooper (March 25th) should get a life.

If Archbishop Brady was invited to attend a Commonwealth Day event, so be it – so was I. Those members of his flock who profess, accept and live a life as part of their Britishness also have rights.

At the Commonwealth Day event I attended, I engaged in a constructive discussion, said I was opposed to rejoining the Commonwealth but very much in favour of good relations. People such as Mr Cooper and his narrow, outdated, views would force me to reconsider my views – in the other direction. – Yours, etc,

Cllr DERMOT LACEY,

Beech Hill Drive,

Donnybrook, Dublin 4.

> Read in Irish Times

Filed Under: commonwealth, Letters

Lá an Chomhlathais i mBÁC

26 March 2013 By

Foinse

Dé hAoine, 22 Márta 2013

Foinse Lá an Chomhlathais Rinneadh Lá an Chomhlathais a cheiliúradh san Acadamh Ríoga Éireannach, Sráid Dawson, Baile Átha Cliath ar an Luan, an 11 Márta, le teacht le chéile a bhí eagraithe ag an ngrúpa, Reform Group. Bhí Mary Kenny, údar, colúnaí agus tuairisceoir clúiteach mar aoi ag an ócáid. Thug sí caint eolasach chuimsitheach agus leag sí amach na buntáistí a bhaineann le ballraíocht an Chomhlathais. Léirigh sí ar dtús an caidreamh idir an Rí Seoirse a cúig agus an t-ambasadóir Éireannach John Dulanty ag am na scoilte i 1949, cúis aiféala ar gach taobh a bhí i gceist go mór mhór idir na hAontachtaithe ó thuaidh. As sin amach, cuireadh leis an teannas idir na dreamanna seicteacha éagsúla ar an oileán.

> Read more

Filed Under: comment, commonwealth

Lord Empey urges Republic to rejoin Commonwealth in House of Lords Debate

15 March 2013 By

empey

By REBECCA BLACK
Published on 15/03/2013 10:34 – Newsletter

ULSTER Unionist peer Lord Empey has called on the Republic to rejoin the Commonwealth.

Ireland left the Commonwealth when it declared itself a republic on April 18, 1949, but there have been calls intermittently since for it to rejoin.

Yesterday, Lord Empey made the call during a debate in the House of Lords on the Commonwealth.

“I would like to highlight the importance of the economic dimension to the Commonwealth,” he said.

“Approximately one-third of humanity is engaged in the Commonwealth and it very largely shares with people and businesses in this country a common language and very similar approaches to the law.

> Read more

Photograph: Newsletter

Filed Under: commonwealth, Featured, news

Robin Bury Blog – Tuesday 12 March 2013 – Commonwealth Day

12 March 2013 By

Mary Kenny 11 March 2013Yesterday was Commonwealth Day which was celebrated in fifty-four countries around the world, thirty-two of these nations being republics. In Rome, the British Ambassador at the Holy See gave a formal dinner for the Cardinals from Commonwealth countries. The Irish representative was Cardinal Brady and he was given the opportunity of talking to Cardinals from other Commonwealth countries. Apparently the dinner was very successful and gave an opportunity for English-speaking Commonwealth Cardinals to get to know one another. Although we are not in the Commonwealth, Cardinal Brady was included, presumably because his See is in Armagh.

In Dublin, the Reform Group held a Commonwealth Day reception in the Royal Irish Academy which was addressed by Mary Kenny and Bruce Arnold … the talks to appear on the Reform website at www.reform.org. The event was well attended. The Ambassador of Nigeria, His Excellency Felix Pwol, and representatives from the South African and Kenyan embassies were present. The theme of Commonwealth Day this year is ‛Opportunity through Enterprise – Unlocking potential with innovation and excellence’. This is apt in an Irish context, though unfortunately we cannot avail of the programmes as we are no longer in the Commonwealth.

> View video on YouTube

Filed Under: comment, commonwealth

Commonwealth Day in Dublin

28 February 2013 By

Read Bruce Arnold on why we should celebrate Commonwealth Day in Dublin on 11 March 2013 in the Royal Irish Academy. Come and hear Mary Kenny speak about Ireland and the Commonwealth. €10.00 entrance fee to cover light lunch.

> Read Bruce Arnold’s Article in the Irish Independent

Filed Under: comment, commonwealth, Events

Commonwealth Day, 11 March 2013

15 February 2013 By

commonwealth-flagsMonday 11th March 2013 is Commonwealth Day, which in Dublin will be marked by a gathering in the Royal Irish Academy, Dawson street hosted by the Reform Group. The meeting will be addressed by Mary Kenny, the well known author, journalist and columnist. The Reform Group promotes closer relationships with the Commonwealth which includes near neighbours Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Malta, Cyprus and South Africa, among its 54 members. It is estimated that 21 million Irish people reside in the various Commonwealth countries. Reform believes that eventual membership of this entity would bring harmony to this island and contribute to trading, cultural and sporting links worldwide.

The proceedings are from 12.30 pm to 2.00 pm; admission €10.00 and a light buffet and refreshments will be served. All welcome.

Filed Under: commonwealth, Events, Featured, news

Robin Bury Blog: Secretary General of the Commonwealth implores Ireland to ‘come home’

10 January 2013 By

ramphal

The media’s main interest in the recent release of the 1982 state papers was in the malevolence of Charles Haughey during the Falklands war. Ronan Fanning wrote a superb article on Haughey’s behavior in the Sunday Independent on 30th December 2012, exposing his headstrong Anglophobic instructions to our UN representative, Ambassador Noel Dorr, who obeyed his master, calling for an immediate cessation of hostilities. This was overtaken by events as British troops had landed before the UN could debate Haughey’s resolution. But in Fanning’s words, ‘this humiliating outcome for Haughey’s self-indulgent exercise in Brit-bashing cannot disguise the fact that the damage done to Anglo-Irish relations was immense’.

Another story with an Anglophobic tone was missed by the Irish media, with the exception of the Irish Daily Mail which had the headline ‘We need Ireland back  in the Commonwealth’ (December 31, 2012, p.20). No, it was not a peeved Margaret Thatcher who said this to our Ambassador in London, Eamon Kennedy. She was the last person Haughey would at that time take notice of such a request.  It was the then Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, Shridath Ramphal, who was in 10 Downing Street in June 1982 after the Trooping of the Colour with Kennedy. He explained that the Commonwealth had changed radically into an international organization of mainly independent republics which ‘owed their independent republican status…to Ireland.’ Well, he exaggerated somewhat as it was Britain which gave its Empire away under duress, Ireland being the first nation to go. Kennedy listened politely but declined the offer on behalf of his boss, Haughey, putting improved relations with the British government ahead of the healing power of re-entering the Commonwealth.

Much later in November 2009, at a round table dinner in Port of Spain, Ramphal returned to this subject, clearly close to his heart. He then told the Commonwealth summit why Ireland should ‘come home’. I will not go into the detail of what he said as you can read his speech on the Reform website.

Read it and then come back and give us one reason why we should not return. Perhaps we should also ask our youth who have found new homes and jobs in Commonwealth countries. Lastly, let’s ask our politicians, not one of whom has given me a reason why we are not in the modern Commonwealth. Could it be that anglophobia still stalks the corridors of Leinster House?

Filed Under: comment, commonwealth, Featured, news

Gaelnscéal

8 November 2012 By

Letter in Irish language weekly ‘Gaelnscéal’, 31 October 2012

 

Dear sir,

It appears that Eoghan Ó Neill (Gaelscéal 24 Oct) is not content to wait until a majority in Northern Ireland favour reunification, the latter not very likely now considering the state of the Republic. Perhaps membership of the Commonwealth would encourage relationships between the two parts of this small island but nothing more could be hoped for at this time.

Yours Peadar

 

A chara,

Is léir nach bhfuil Eoghan Ó Néill (Gaelscéal 24 D.Fómhar) sásta fanacht go mbeidh tromlach an Tuaiscirt i bhfábhar athaontú na tíre. Níl aon cosúlacht ar sin anois go mór mór nuair a fheiceann tú staid na Poblachta. Bhféidir go gcabhraíodh ballríocht an Chomhlathais arís leis an chaidreamh idir an dá chuid den oileán beag seo, ach sin an méid!

Le meas ort,
Peadar Ó Caiside,
Cabhán,
Co an Chabháin

 

Letter reproduced courtesy of Gaelsceal

 

 

Filed Under: commonwealth, Letters

The Commonwealth in a modern context

14 July 2012 By

Dear Robin,

As you know, I share your and your Reform colleagues’ frustration that the true nature of the modern Commonwealth is apparently so little understood by large sections of the Irish people.

I experienced similar difficulties arising from such misunderstanding in an African context when I joined the Commonwealth Secretariat in 1971 and was in contact with African liberation movements.

The link below provides access to a speech which I delivered almost 39 years ago in an attempt to address this problem. The link includes also a covering note in that respect which I prepared recently.

The speech was helpful in establishing among an African audience the Commonwealth’s credentials as a supporter of that continent’s liberation struggles against colonialism and minority racist regimes.

By the time I retired from the Secretariat in 2003, there were much fewer misapprehensions regarding the modern Commonwealth. It is indeed a sad fact that they remain in Ireland.

I thought that these items might possibly be of some interest to you and your colleagues.

With all personal good wishes,

Yours sincerely,

Terry.

> Read more

Filed Under: commonwealth, Letters

Republic’s interest in Commonwealth grows

2 April 2012 By

News Letter – Monday 2 April 2012

A FORMER Irish diplomat has said that the Republic of Ireland is moving ever closer to the UK and that there is a growing possibility of it re-joining the British Commonwealth.

Eamon Delaney, who was in the Irish Foreign Service from 1987 to 1995 and is now an author and journalist, was speaking in the wake of Northern Ireland First Minister Peter Robinson’s speech in Dublin, last week, to mark the 100th Anniversary of the Ulster Covenant.

> Read more

 

 

Filed Under: commonwealth, news
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