Thoughts on Ireland's Independence Day at the Mansion House, January 21, and the state of play of Ireland's sovereignty

[Roibeard McElroy]

The Mansion House – the once town house of the estimable Joshua Dawson was where a crop of enlightened denizens converged on the day of January 21. For it was January 21, 2013 – the 94^th anniversary of the first meeting of a sovereign Irish government – the First Dail - but also marked another seminal event – the start of Ireland's War of Independence; also known as the 'Tan War' or 'The Anglo-Irish War.' This was the day when Sean Treacy and Dan Breen and five other men – generically known as 'The Magnificent seven', carried out an ambush at Soloheadbeg and fired the first shots in that war. So this truly is Ireland's Independence Day comparable in no little way with July 14 in France or the 4^th of July in the US. It also is the day when an annual ceremony takes place 'The turning of the Sovereign seal' - an ornate monument with Ireland's national emblem - the supreme harp - standing like a sentinel and surmounted on a solid base; it wouldn't be out of place as a trophy being purveyed to the winner of a competition or Feis etc. This ceremony is herein an evocative and ceremonial continuation of this event, which was first performed on that January 21, 1919; a highly imporant event which by its deeply symbolic and allegorical overtones, is a strikingly sovereign and pioneering act in itself.

This group of enlightened individuals had gathered to gain admission to witness this event when the seal of their nationhood, the very collective and substantive expression of their sovereignty was being enacted. The snow fell to further accentuate the biting cold that prevailed around; as if a further purification of the group of motley individuals gathered was required. They had turned up to honour the event of January 19 but also to partake in this seminal activation of the sovereignty of Eireann and her children. They were expressing their inalienable right to their sovereignty and to 'The unfettered control of their destinies both sovereign and indeafisible', as was marked herein in this building on that day. But they were left out in the cold; a crude and blatant type of censorship was carried out by the Lord Mayor and his cohorts or overseers, one should say - the Irish government. They were Locked out and denied their sovereign right as denizens of Eireann – as freemen and women and children. Was it the Law of exclusivity or was it the Law of hysterical fear which was at work in the actions of those abusing power? (I won't say those in authority because someone in 'authority' implies that one has the capacity to author something!).

This Mansion House where the first elected Irish government gathered after their historic general election of december 1918; where the first ministerial cabinet met; where those four groundbreaking and historically potent documents were unfurled anew to the world, like craftmanship being peddled for the first time: 1) The Declaration of Independence; 2) A constitution; 3) A message to the free nations of the world and 4) The 'Democratic programme', was the backdrop and location. So much history within its walls; so many seminal moments from Ireland's history that dropped down like great metoeorites or comets from the sky of plenty, to embrace and behold. So many events of power to extract from the chronicle of time; so much residual memories as if embedded within its walls and stately rooms. It truly is a mansion. The house that Joshua Dawson sold for the price of 5 pounds of sugar renewable every Christmas is an historic building extraordinaire.

THE EXTENSIVE HUMANITARIAN AND PIONEERING ASPECTS OF THE DEMOCRATIC PROGRAMME

This Democratic programme, the brainchild of Tom Johnston, was accepted unanimously without prior debate on that January 21, 1919. It was an extensive annexation of a social justice blueprint in situ. A direct reiteration of the social justice clauses of the 1916 proclamation concentrating on justice, liberty and democracy. The sentiments and philosophy of cherishing all the children of the nation equally, a fair and equitable distribution of wealth was in its every inkblot. (The fact that it was drafted and authored by the Labour party's Tom Johnston, who it's said “Wept tears of joy” when it was read out on that January 19, whose party have now abandoned all bona fides of equity, fairness and equality within society, is an interesting and ironic aside to this debate; the fact that these inalienable rights, noble and estimable attributes, are being stamped into the ground like crushed grapevines and a bruised winepress by the status quo of the day, is also an interesting and deeply ironic sidecar to the central debate. But most of all, the fact that people - denizens of the state – were denied right of access, rightful entrance to behold and mark this event by the order of the day, is most striking of all, as the event most evocatively associated with this building – the First Dail of January 21, 1919 - sought and enshrined as in cuneiform, the ancient ogham or writ of the day, that these ideals and god-given rights be honoured and adhered to for eternity and posterity.

But it is pertinent, to pose the question, at this point: Who are the government who sit in Leinster House and what entity has presided there since 1922, when the state was founded? Are they a sovereign government? The answer must resound to the rooftops: Nay. They are a ROYAL Oireachtas, who derive their power, their raison d'etre from, the English monarcy and more pertinently, the corporation entity of THE CITY OF LONDON. They are hence not a sovereign governement; they do not carry the mantle of the First Dail of 1919, which was representative of the 32 counties of Eireann, and who had its full authority invested in it by the people and by democratic writ. (In addition, they are provisonal). As a consequence, they are tantamount to imposters, who are usurping the rights of the people of Eireann. They are acting on orders, subordinate to the writ of the foreign yoke and bondsman again! If one thinks this is hyperbole, then contemplate but for a moment, the following facts:

1) Ireland possesses 3.8% of the World's gas reserves around its coast; but this was sold off to foreign bidders, non-national multi-nationals, like Shell in particular, since the 70's; (there has also been a long standing protest in county Mayo over the Shell to sea refinery);

2) Irish fisheries have been plundered to the very depths of her dominion – French and Spanish fishermen the main culprits since the 70's, but the EU are directly implicated; this is inextricably related to the infinity of EU directives and regulations over the years;

3) The Forests of Ireland are now under threat; the rightful and sovereign control attributable to a state body Coillte was subverted when it was disbanded; a swiss company called Helvetica have been brought in and could in time annex and scour all of Ireland's forests;

Up to 45% of Irish heritage has been destroyed and wiped out; in 2007 and 2008, one of the most unique archaeological landscapes in the world – the Tara/Skyrne valley was destroyed – such an integral part of the Irish psyche, raison d'etre, existence and identity, for a tolled motorway – the dividend of which will go out of the state to a foreign conglomerate – Eurolink Consortium – until 2045!

Perhaps most of all, they brought in the IMF, which has ensured serfdom and econominc slavery and bondage for Irish people for years to come; the loan itself, if hypothectically an IMF Loan could be considered a good thing, had an interest rate of 7.5%; in the field of commerce and business, this would be categorised as EXORBITANT TO THE CORE;

Lastly, in their crass and obsequious prostration to their masters, the muscle wracking bending of the knee, like a child seeking approval from its parent, inexorably willing to obey at any cost, it has been bailing out the banks - the vampires and parasites - with an energy and willing endeavour, that would render a subordinate of the French Foreign Legion to stay in the shade - to the grand total of 42% of 'Paying their way.' The means of exacting and rendering their due - the 42% of the EU total, is increased austerity almost on a daily basis, and then extracting almost the people's right to existence.

This is all done by the status quo; they have given acquiesence to all of this; they have offered up the natural resources, the very body and core of the land of Eireann to the highest bidder. They are nothing but abject, subservient knaves! They have usurped the founders and noble patriots of this state, and by their actions have totally subverted the sovereign republic of 1919; reciprocally, they must be usurped!

But to get back to the topic, which has provoked this pen into its impassioned movement and indignant upbraiding – the 'Turning of the Seal' ceremony on January 21 in the Mansion House – IRELAND'S NATIONAL DAY OF INDEPENDENCE: what does it signify when a state – the status quo, covers up this event, and its annual occurence, is totally excluded from school curricula etc? It suggests very persuasively that the very education system of the land, the people in high places running this state, have very deliberately and insidiously, covered up and almost brushed it out of existence. They act like pretenders to a throne – false pretenders! Moreover, when they deny people – denizens - the right to behold, honour, and commemorate this ceremony and event, they are complicit in a denial of people's rights! They are quilty on two counts!

But most of all, what does it demonstrate, when a state does not have a celebration of such an important day? It is surely a microcosm of what would seem a policy of this state – denial of our history, an execrable distortion of it, an eradication of our heritage and culture, a destruction of the essence of what it means to be Irish. This is the juncture, at which the people are now gathered: if the people don't take back NOW what has been taken from them, what has been usurped and subverted, the English crown corporation of the city of London's feet will be too well embedded in our land to remove...