'Our island’s history is complex' - Govt defers RIC event after 'disappointing response'

The Minister for Justice Charlie Flanagan has announced that the State commemoration of the RIC in Dublin Castle on January 17 has been deferred "given the disappointing response" to it.

The Government has been forced to abandon its planned commemoration of the role of the RIC later this month.

Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan has in a statement said the “disappointing response” to the planned event means it can no longer go ahead in an atmosphere that meets the goals of the overall programme of commemoration.

He said the Government has at all times sought to have a national programme of commemorations that is authentic, sensitive and inclusive.

It comes after the event got much negative backlash, with a number of politicians refusing to attend the event.

A number of mayors had said they would not attend the event including Cllr Niall Kelleher, the mayor of Kerry, Waterford mayor John Pratt and mayor for Galway Mike Cubbard.

Dublin City Council also voted last night to boycott the event.

Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin said the State created "unnecessary controversy" with its announcement, while the Taoiseach Leo Varadkar defended it, saying it is “not a celebration” and that “all traditions” should be respected.

However, Minister Flanagan has now postponed the event saying: "I do not believe that the event, as planned, can now take place in an atmosphere that meets the goals and guiding principles of the overall commemorative programme.

I know that, regrettably, this decision will be a cause of hurt and upset to many people. I commit to proceeding with an alternative commemoration in the months ahead.

It has always been clear that the later period of the commemorative programme, including the War of Independence, the Anglo-Irish Treaty, partition and the foundation of Northern Ireland and the Civil War, would be particularly challenging, Mr Flanagan said.

“Thousands of Irish people have ancestors who served in the Dublin Metropolitan Police and Royal Irish Constabulary. These personal histories are part of the history of our island. I believe it is right that we acknowledge that history,” he said.

“There were those in the RIC who committed atrocities. The horrific record of the Black and Tans and Auxiliaries is well known. But there were thousands of other officers who behaved with dignity and honour in serving their communities. And we should not seek to airbrush these people from our history,” he added.

Mr Flanagan said the Government’s approach to commemoration has always been to deepen mutual understanding without expecting anyone to abandon loyalties.

In that context, and in that spirit, the Government accepted the specific recommendation that “consideration should [be] given to the organisation of specific initiatives to commemorate the Royal Irish Constabulary (RIC) and the Dublin Metropolitan Police (DMP) and to acknowledge their place in history”.

Earlier, Prof Diarmuid Ferriter accused Mr Flanagan of “misrepresenting” the position of the Expert Advisory Group (EAG) in relation to commemoration of the RIC.

He said the group should not be used as “mudguard” by a Government seeking to deflect controversy.

The EAG did not recommend or endorse the idea of a formal state commemoration for the RIC in the manner proposed, Mr Ferriter said.

“What we stated was that consideration should be given to the organisation of specific initiatives to commemorate the RIC and the DMP and to acknowledge their place in history.

“What we had in mind was an academic event- a conference or seminar- that would look at the issue of policing in Ireland during the revolutionary period, including the role of and disbandment of the RIC and the foundation of the Civic Guard, which became An Garda Síochána,” he said.

“The EAG should not be used by the government as a mudguard to provide cover for itself when it receives negative reaction to its solo runs in relation to commemoration,” he said strongly.

“The proposed RIC commemoration does not follow that model; what is being proposed was not put before the EAG and therefore was not discussed by the EAG and the minister should not refer to the event on 17th January in Dublin Castle as being as a result of our guidance,” Mr Ferriter said.