Tribal conflict is not sectarianism

THE brutal killing of Michael McIlveen in Ballymena is an unspeakable tragedy.

However, I want to take issue with the fact that the PSNI and the media describe the killing as “sectarian”, thus implying a religious motive for the attack.

This, I believe, is a fundamental misunderstanding of the situation.

The conflict in Ireland has little or nothing to do with religion other than being a handy way of identifying which tribe you belong to.

Catholics and Protestants are not attacked because of their religion. They are attacked because they belong to the enemy tribe. The conflict is just a typical row between neighbouring tribes fighting over a piece of territory.

We nationalists see unionists as usurpers of part of our ancient tribal territory and we are obsessed with reclaiming it. We are convinced it is our birthright to colonise the unionist people in a united Ireland.

Unionist violence against nationalists is motivated not by religious bigotry, but by a primeval fear of being subsumed by us nationalists. Our belligerent and futile quest for a united Ireland remains the cause of the conflict on this island and all the horrors that flow from it.

If young Michael McIlveen’s untimely death makes us confront and better understand the real causes of the conflict, then his family and friends may be consoled, to some extent, that his death was not a total waste.

Dick Keane

35 Silchester Park

Glenageary

Co Dublin.