BOSTONIRISH
.COM
Website of the Boston Irish
Reporter

By Bill O'Donnell

An Odd Way To Sell A Book -- Six years ago three Irishmen with long republican paramilitary pedigrees were arrested in Bogota, Colombia, on charges of training anti-government FARC elements. This was at a time when the Irish march towards peace was a shaky work in progress and the arrests, which prompted questions of Sinn Fein good faith, threatened to derail the peace process.

Flash forward to the present: James Monaghan, one of the "Columbia Three," has broken his silence and is flogging a new book, "Columbia Jail Journal," which he describes as his own "exclusive inside story." Exclusive and inside it may be, but its launch just before Thanksgiving is now swirling in controversy. Steve McDonogh of Kerry's Brandon/Eagle Publications is charging that Monaghan is not cooperating with the publisher to publicize his book and has been "gagged"by Sinn Fein. The fledgling author, for his part, is denying that anyone has ordered him to avoid the broadcast media; he simply wants to stay away from the Late Late Show following consultation with Sinn Fein.

Sinn Fein publicity chief Dawn Doyle said she knows nothing about any TV or radio ban involving Monaghan. But the question remains: How do you sell a book in the hothouse atmosphere that is today's publishing world if you won't do the PR legwork that comes with the territory -and a follow-up question is whether or not and why Sinn Fein is concerned with the book's contents, and that begets a final question: If Sinn Fein is trying to keep author Monaghan off the tube, why did they assent to his writing the book in the first place ?

Boston Campaign Uses Old Tricks -- When I was growing up, eternally fascinated by the political process and the candidates in my city of birth, Boston, and later in Somerville, there was an unending array of dirty tricks as they famously came to be known during the Nixon era. Rampant fraud and bogus pamphlets and last minute mailbox-stuffers with phony unsigned charges or non-existent organizations as the source were regular fodder along the campaign trail. I thought all that was part of the murky past but this year's Boston City Council election says differently. John Connolly, who was trying to knock Steve Murphy off and grab a council-at-large seat admitted that he had sent out anti-Murphy attack flyers anonymously to areas of the city that have been Murphy strongholds.

Connolly, a young Harvard-educated lawyer who has worked for one of Boston's top law firm, Ropes & Gray, would hardly seem the type to stoop to such unseemly tactics. Maybe it's all in the genes; Connolly's dad is amiable Mike Connolly, a former Massachusetts secretary of state and current Boston Licensing Board member who certainly knows his way on the political trail. In any event, it's a lousy way to run for office and it's disappointing to see it pay off for young Connolly in his at-large victory. For Murphy, the Connolly blitz produced a high-flying second place finish, just two percentage points behind mayor-in-waiting Mike Flaherty.

Ireland Pays Homage To Peacekeepers -- No country, regardless of its size or geopolitical heft, has been more faithful or giving or valorous in its voluntary duties as a United Nations Peacekeeper than Ireland. Since 1958 the Republic has sent thousands of its young men and women to foreign destinations to monitor unresolved conflicts and act as guarantors of peace in troubled posts far from home. Over the years, 89 Irish have died while on UN missions. These casualties include members of the Irish Army, Garda Siochana ,and civilian personnel. A wreath-laying ceremony honoring those who died and the thousands who have served was held on November 11. The first Irishman killed on UN duty, Army Sgt. Felix Grant, died in the Congo in1960; the most recent was Sgt. Derec Mooney, who died in Liberia four years ago. When the Irish sacrifice on behalf of peace around the world is coupled with the extraordinary in-kind and bilateral government funding to countries in need, and then added to by the conflict resolution model that has been newly active in troubled areas such as Iraq and the Middle East, it is clear that Ireland, with its 4.3 million population, is punching well above its weight.

NOTABLE QUOTES

"I was thrilled to get the nomination. I couldn't believe it when I won the thing. One actor ...was supposed to be a shoo-in to win, so I just went along for the do. Armani gave me a suit and Gucci gave me shoes. When my name was read out, I felt like time stopped. I had to be pushed up out of my seat."

-- The actor Tom Murphy on his winning the Tony award in 1998 for his role in "The Beauty Queen of Leenane." Murphy, 39, died of cancer in October.

"It's about how the [peace] process mitigated against us getting justice and how a blind eye was turned to murder to protect that process, and we were victims of that."

-- Catherine McCartney, sister of murdered Belfastman Robert McCartney, who has been seeking justice with Sinn Fein, the IRA and the police.

"In total the Taoiseach [Bertie Ahern] lodged 72,500 Irish pounds in an eight-month period between December 1993 and August 1994 to various savings accounts, and this was before he had begun to make repayments on his 19,115 Irish pounds loan."

-- Lorna Reid, Irish Independent, Nov. 22, 2007

"Dare say, it was still considered to be an abandonment of England. A betrayal! A heresy! It was not expected. … But I've committed so many heresies that there's no sense in not making the final gesture."

-- The actor Daniel Day-Lewis, born in Britain, on declaring his Irish citizenship

"When's the last time you walked by a pub in Dublin and heard Irish music? When's the last time that you ordered a coffee and heard an Irish person taking the order from you?"

-- Chicago-born Dancer Michael Flatley, bemoaning changes in the Ireland of today

"We have great information. They're going to welcome us. It'll be like the American Army going through the streets of Paris. ... Those people will be so happy with their freedoms that we'll probably back ourselves out of there within a month or two."

-- Vice President Dick Cheney, September 2002, six-months before the US invasion of Iraq.

"And if we think it's appropriate any time in the future to look at [searching suspected US rendition flights at Shannon], we will. … Policing is all about human rights. Whether it's in Ireland or elsewhere, you can count on me being on the human rights bandwagon."

-- Kathleen O'Toole, former Boston police commissioner, now chief inspector of the Irish national police (Garda Siochana).

Pitfalls Of The Irish Countryside -- It is that time again as we look towards Christmas and the new year for me to remind the unwary tourist that while the Irish roads themselves can be fraught with peril, so also can what Gay Byrne calls the "scandal." That , of course, being the reality that one in five Irish drivers has never passed his/her driving test. Many of the regular seasoned readers of this space know all too well the of the" L problem" -- thousands of smiling, genial Irish men and women who will never have to fret about losing their driver's license because they never had one. But they continue to legally drive with the hope that someday …

-- The Irish government and the Garda, after having come to it late, have turned into hardliners on drinking and driving. The legal alcohol level has been going down and police presence at pub closing times has dramatically changed the status quo on Ireland's roads. Rural drivers, many of whom feel over-monitored by their local police, have been agitating for late-night bus or low-cost taxi service to avoid the possibility of incidents.

-- Recently Catholic priests, especially in rural areas, have complained that multiple Communion services could put them over the legal limit and they might become subject to being stopped for DUI . And according to Canon Law, some priests assert, they must finish at Mass all wine that has been consecrated for that particular Communion service.

SDLP On The Rise Again -- After being electorally battered by Sinn Fein and forced to the sidelines by Adams and McGuinness and company, who took all the bouquets and credit for the success of the peace process, the Social Democratic Labour Party under Mark Durkin and Alasdair McDonnell is being heard and noticed once again. As was the case for years under former leaders John Hume and Seamus Mallon, the SDLP continues to stand tall and even stronger today on the issues of human rights and justice. The party has been passionate in recent days calling for a full investigation of the brutal mob murder of Paul Quinn in Co. Monaghan. The Quinn family has pointed a finger at the provisional IRA, or at least members of the IRA, and the SDLP has taken up the family's brief, chasing answers from Gerry Adams and others. Not content to ride shotgun in a Sinn Fein coach, the SDLP is also actively looking at new political allegiances across the border. Speculation is that the SDLP would seriously consider a merger with Bertie Ahern's Fianna Fail, the lead party in the coalition government. This would coincide with actions by party leader Ahern, who earlier rejected any post-election alliance with Sinn Fein and recently announced a working party to look at expanding into the North.

The Hunt For Whitey Bulger Turns Green -- Following a possible sighting of James "Whitey" Bulger, 78, in Sicily, FBI and Interpol have turned their sights increasingly towards Ireland. The locations being touted by law enforcement, who have allegedly been looking for the Southie fugitive since the 1995, is Kerry and West Cork, with Kerry the most likely spot. Whether the latest focus on Ireland as a possible Whitey hideout is merely growing frustration on the part of police on both sides of the Atlantic or actual hard intelligence is hard to gauge. But several factors about Ireland, especially Kerry, have fascinated the Bulger task force. It is known that Whitey traveled several times to Ireland and that he is proud of his Irish heritage. It is believed that he maintained close contacts in Ireland prior to his 1995 disappearance. Further, sources cited in the Irish Independent newspaper mention several unnamed American associates of Bulger who are known to have properties in Kerry and Cork and are regular visitors to the region.

Bertie Goes For The Gold -- Damaging revelations about swift-of-hand financial transactions by the Irish leader have been dribbling out of the Mahon Tribunal but like a majestic Teflon bunny, Bertie Ahern soldiers on, scampering about, tamping down his flying fur, unscathed except for public opinion. Ah, but Bertie is being well compensated for his time as he and his acolytes sign on for hefty pay raises, granted by themselves. And worthy recipients they are, indeed.

Bertie's new wage packet is a handsome one by any measurement. His new annual salary in euros is 310,000 or in dollars (at Thanksgiving exchange rate) $455,000. The newest raise to bring him to that lofty plateau was $55,000. All his ministers received generous raises -all this for a wee but wonderful Republic of 4.3 million overtaxed citizens.

When the Taoiseach was questioned by a raucous Irish press corps and asked why he should get more money than the leaders of the United States (pop: 300 million) the UK (61 million), and France (60 million), the ever-resourceful Bertie answered that he had no "palace" to live in. "I don't have the Elysee Palace, I don't have Chequers. and I don't have No. 10 [Downing St.]" But Your Man did eschew any interest in Washington. "I certainly don't want the White House." All I can say is watch your back, George W.

Cash-Rich Irish Head to US -- With the common currency in Europe floating somewhere up there in excess of $1.45 to one euro, the Irish have been taking advantage of the disparity and heading in droves to New York, Boston, and Los Angeles to buy "cheap" goodies. For the coming Christmas season, Irish shoppers traveling to New York are expected to spend 15 percent more than in previous years. The "buy American" binge, compliments of the exchange rate, is, of course, warmly welcomed by American retailers but not so back home. Irish retailers are noting the $1.4 billion in losses to the Irish economy. One industry spokesman said, "The shoppers who went to America will be at the front of the line next year grousing when there's people being let go out of multinationals."

An interesting report from the Land of the Celtic Tiger: The people of Ireland are healthier, wealthier, and better educated than ever -but their families are breaking down as never before, and the divorce rate is at an all-time high. Another report recently stated that the Celtic Tiger, while it has elevated many into explosive new wealth, unfortunately had little impact on working class standards of living and most are no better off now than before the Irish discovered the good life. That's troubling but not surprising.

Remembering Tom Murphy - It has been six weeks since the news of the death from cancer of the actor Tom Murphy reached me. His death at 36 or 39 (depending on whether you saw the obituary in the Times or the Independent) was an incalculable loss to his friends and family and to all who cherish the theater and the actors whose magic bring it to life at curtain time. Tom, whom I first saw in Behan's Borstal Boy" at, of all places, the Gaiety in Dublin, won a Tony Award in 1998 for his role in "The Beauty Queen of Leenane" on Broadway. But that night he also won the hearts of the international audience with his boyish smile, Dublin street patois, and his obvious discomfort at being center stage with theatrical royalty at a big televised American spectacular. We go to know him briefly during a number of visits to New York and "Beauty Queen." He was easy to know and easier to like. A beautiful guy with everything before him. The mourners' queue for young Tom is long.

To one and all, a happy, healthy, and peaceful Christmas and New Year.