Courageous leadership will be able to eradicate partition
At that time (1938), observed the author, Craigavon admitted privately that partition could not last: “In this island we cannot live always separated from one another. We are too small to be apart or for the border to be there for all time. The change will not come in my time but it will come.”
It is 35 years since the challenge was posed as to whether, in the North, we had a leader with the charisma to lead anxious unionist people to join with their neighbours to resolve once and for all our long-standing recurring conflict so that it might never again emerge in the different context of a succeeding generation.
In this context and at this time, it seems appropriate to mention the statement made by King George V at the opening of the new Northern Ireland Parliament on June 22, 1922.
“I speak from a full heart when I pray that my coming to Ireland today may prove to be the first step towards an end of strife among her peoples, whatever their race or creed.
“In that hope, I appeal to all Irishmen to pause, to stretch out the hand of forbearance and conciliation, to forgive and forget and to join in making for the land which they love a new era of peace, contentment and goodwill.”
So what may be the fate of latter-day unionists in a new Ireland? Had they studied the Constitution of the Irish Republic in detail and in full rather than for so long focussing on their specialities — the special place of the Roman Catholic Church, the indissolubility of marriage, family planning and last but by no means least, Articles 2 and 3 about which we heard, read and wrote ad nauseum over so many years — they might have pounced on the little mentioned Article 15 of the Irish Constitution.
Article 15.1.3 states: “The Houses of the Oireachtas shall sit in or near the city of Dublin or in such other place as they may from time to time determine.”
Article 15.2.2 states: “Provision may be made by law for the creation or recognition of subordinate legislatures and for the powers and functions of these legislatures.”
During the negotiations to devise an entirely new constitution to which all might give their allegiance, Article 15 of the current Irish constitution could provide the precedent which would promote the degree of autonomy deemed necessary for Ulster within a federal new Ireland.
With regards to those other constitutional matters mentioned above, many of these have, in the main, already been dealt with — largely, some observers would suggest, with the aim of giving reassurance to citizens of the North who were born into the Protestant or unionist tradition.
Albeit comparatively late in the day, the people of the Republic of Ireland, have already responded with consideration and generosity to many of the fears and concerns of the people of the North.
It is surely time for us to transcend the petty political point scoring which holds up our progress as a people and to work out a modus vivendi by which we may all find common loyalty for living peacefully together.
In a situation at least as complex as ours, the people of the disparate states of north America were able to meet in Philadelphia in the long hot summer of 1787 to thrash out a constitution to which, despite their differences, they were in the end all able to give their allegiance.
So why can we not, with enlightened leadership, create a meaningful future for ourselves within the new Ireland which now beckons us?
John Robb
Consensor
New Ireland Group
59 Hopefield Avenue
Portrush
Co Antrim
BT56 8HE
Northern Ireland
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