unionist governments 1920-63

Guinnessman

What do you think of Michael Farrells view on policy of discrimination and the ideology of Protestant supremacy? Do you agree with his analysis of the pressures facing unionist goverments in the period 1920-1963 in his book Northern Ireland: The Orange State?

sceptre

Is this an exam question or something? It's not often that someone brings up the ideas expressed in a 1976 book out of the blue 26 years later.

One of Farrell's central points (some would say /the/ central point) was that Northern Ireland was a fascist state easily comparable to germany in the 1930s or the Soviet bloc from 1917 to the writing of the book. Leaving aside the misuse of the word "fascist" (which doesn't mean "totalitarian" or "anti-others" but something entirely specific), I still think Farrell to have been in error (though I haven't read the book since almost ten years ago)

The important thing to remember as you read the book is that Farrell was far more of a radical socialist then Hume, who shared his ideas throughout the 1970s (and doubtless contributed to them in the early 70s). As such (and as a great fan of James Connolly), he had less of a problem with the armed struggles that have littered the history of the island in the past few hundred years. The entire book leads to the enevitable conclusion: the solution is for British withdrawal, and end to partition and hence the demise of the sectarian politics of the Unionist party by making them a minority.

One of the most grevious faults of the Unionist statelet was that it attampted to persuade the Catholic minority that they should be grateful for the few "concessions" that were made to them (which obviously were far from concessions as it put them at a disadvantage compared to their Protestant counterparts).

Farrell was no great fan of Terence O'Neill - he had a particular problem with O'Neill's statements on getting the Catholics to speak like Protestants. This in particular coloured his views on O'Neill. On the other hand, it's his views on the O'Neill administration that are of most relevance to your original question (which unfortunately is also outside the timeframe 1920-63).

Hume said on the BBC's "Provos" documentary on 23 September 1997 that"Stormont represented the, "worst injustice in Europe"". Eamonn McCann says as much in "War and an Irish town" (1974)

Farrell is correct in his assessment of the pressures being brought to bear on the Unionist leadership from the foundation of the Ulster parliament as an independent entity. The Catholic victory in the Derry city elections and in Limavady were a good sign of what was to come in the 1920 county elections, where Fermanagh and Tyrone were controlled by Nationalists, and the slim majority being enjoyed by the Unionists in the other four counties. Eoin McNeil's (part of the boundary commission, remember) view with eregard to what went on after that (where Protestant areas started to multiply as homogenous entities) was that the Unionists were trying to create a fortified state.

As a more recent reflection on some of the things that Farrell was saying (the book was updated in 1990), might be worth reading "Revisionism in Irish Historical Writing: the new anti-nationalist school of historians" (1989) by Peter Berresford Ellis.

In general, I think Farrell's book is worth reading, though some of the thinking (and conclusions) are flawed - but then I wasn't ever a fan of "the solution is ending partition" argument - I'm far too familiar with the Cyprus situation to fall for that one. It's a book of its time more than anything else.

Guinnessman

Yep! Got in one......it's an exam question!
You don't happen to be a lecturer,by any chance???
Think I'm more confused then anything..... but since it is 3.45am I'm sure in the light of day it will make more sense to me!
Thanks!

sceptre

Originally posted by Guinnessman
You don't happen to be a lecturer,by any chance???

Hah! No, failed accountant actually.:D

Where are you in college (hopefully not in Limerick in my public law class - I'd hate to find out at this late stage that I've got to study this in the next two weeks)

Have a look at the following page. Has a few articles that may be of use for comparison.
http://www.midnet.ie/connolly/publications.html

Guinnessman

v. weird?? ya am in college in Limerick......
U in UL? Lucky for u its actually for history........
I take it so ur not doing Law and Accounting??
Gonna take a look @ dat site now...
Cheers ur a life-saver!! (U might have already gathered dat I don't have a clue bout politics or even history....)

sceptre

Law and accounting - got it in one.

I'm the old fart who started it in 1993 and forgot to finish it till now (after a few years hiatus in the workforce) and turns up a few times each term:o

Guinnessman

Really?? What year r ya in now??