Leave Civil War behind, urges Cowen

TAOISEACH Brian Cowen has appealed for all sides to leave behind the Civil War recriminations which have dominated Irish politics in the past.

He said the Government believed that, in commemorating the country’s struggle for independence, it was imperative to honour the achievement of all those who took part, despite the subsequent civil war split.

“For too long in this country, there has been a tendency to measure people’s contribution through the partisan prism of whether they had sided with the republic or the Free State,” he said.

“At this remove, it behoves us all to foster an ethos where the commemoration of those who fought for Irish independence is representative of all.

“If there is one lesson which we should reflect upon today, it is the need to guard against those who wish to hijack our shared history for their own narrow purpose.” Mr Cowen was speaking yesterday at the annual commemoration for War of Independence leader Liam Lynch in Kilcrumper Cemetery, Fermoy, Co Cork.

“It says much about Lynch’s generosity of spirit that he never sought to denigrate the contribution of those who had fought with him in the War of Independence, but with whom he would subsequently differ,” he said.

“We need to nurture in this country a culture of commemoration where people of all parties and none, irrespective of current political standpoints, can in an inclusive way pay their respects to that brave generation who gave us our national freedom.”

Mr Cowen made his comments in the context of the ongoing preparations for the centennial anniversary of the 1916 Easter Rising. He said the Government would resume its consultations in the coming months with all parties in the Oireachtas on the arrangements for the official centenary commemorations.

Mr Cowen also used yesterday’s occasion to warn Ireland could not afford to “go solo” on the global stage. Although he made no mention of the Lisbon referendum, it was a clear message that Ireland would have to find a way of repairing the damage caused by the treaty’s defeat. “In this 21st century world of interdependence, going solo is not an option,” he said.

“This country can not afford to turn its back on closer co-operation with like-minded countries on critical international issues such as developing trade links that foster jobs at home and exploit opportunities abroad... dealing with migration and ensuring the security of vital energy supplies in the years ahead.”

A new survey of Fianna Fáil TDs has revealed the majority believe a second referendum on the Lisbon treaty is inevitable.

The survey, carried out by Newstalk radio station, found 44% of those polled believed a second vote would occur, compared with 40% who did not.