It will take more than glitzy Ireland’s Future meetings to achieve reunification - unionists and reconciliation, for a start

By Jake O'Kane, Irish News, June 22, 2024

Let’s be honest, the only achievement of Ireland’s Future so far is to put the wind up unionists. I’m suspicious of large political gatherings and wonder if they serve much purpose apart from massaging the egos of their organisers and those speaking.

Admittedly such political rallies are a staple of Irish history. I remember being taught about the 50-plus ‘monster meetings’ of the great Daniel O’Connell, held between 1843-45. It was estimated that up to a million-and-a-half people – or roughly a quarter of Ireland’s population – attended, a superhuman achievement for the time.

O’Connell, known as ‘the Liberator’ due to his fight for Catholic emancipation, was a renowned orator but that wasn’t the draw for the hundreds of thousands who travelled to see him. What he said went unheard by 99% of the crowd; the attraction for them was being part of such a large gathering bonded in common cause.

I must assume this is the same motivation for those who organise Ireland’s Future gatherings. Though with the latest event held last Saturday, entitled ‘Pathway to Change’, I feel obliged to highlight the elephant in the Odyssey Arena - namely, the glaring lack of participation from unionist politicians, though David Adams, a one-time member of the UDA, did call out those among Ireland’s Future who ignore the need for reconciliation before reunification.

Ireland’s Future appears to view the one million citizens who continue to identify not as Irish but as British as an inconvenience to be ignored. But make no mistake: if reunification is to be achieved, reaching out to that demographic is a challenge which must be surmounted.

While nowhere near as glitzy, events such as those held during the West Belfast Fleadh, where unionist politicians of all hues are invited to speak, come closer to achieving that aim.

Whilst doing a show during the fleadh years ago I noticed that practically all the door staff had disappeared. On enquiring why, the head of security explained that Gregory Campbell was in a debate on Irish reunification at the same time, and they’d believed it wise to move staff to that event.

Of course, nothing untoward occurred and while I’m certain that Mr Campbell’s opinion remained unaltered on reunification, I was impressed at his courage in attending and not surprised he’d been given a respectful hearing by the audience on the night.

Political echo chambers are every bit as prevalent online as in real life. Anti-social media is awash with what can only be described as toxic subcultures of rabid unionism and nationalism. They’re easy to spot as invariably their banners are festooned with flags and occasionally a misspelt quote from some long-dead hero.

The answer to our division will never arise from such places, it will come from those who attempt, difficult as it is, to understand and reach out to their enemy.

This need not involve the surrendering of sincere beliefs nor capitulation of political dreams. I am Irish; I need neither a flag nor anthem nor crowd of fellow believers for this to be real. I happen to be married to a woman who is British; thankfully she too needs none of the appendages of nationalism to supplement her Britishness.

We are raising two children who on reaching an age of reason will decide what nationality they identify with. At present they hold both Irish and British passports as does my wife. In the interest of being candid I must admit I hold only an Irish passport, though considering staunch unionist Ian Paisley has encouraged people to get an Irish passport, who knows?

My nationalistic hotchpotch of a family manages to get along, though that does not mean we always agree. I have tried my very best to ensure I neither imply nor insinuate any sense of nationalistic superiority, not that this is easy, especially when it comes to sports.

On the rare occasions nationality is raised at home I’m usually poking fun. For instance, my 16-year-old son recently did his GCSE in history, a section of which covered the Troubles. My fatherly advice to him was, having answered the question asked, he should put in brackets at the end: (It was all Britain’s fault).

I’d forgotten my wife was within earshot and heard a shrill scream: “Don’t you dare, the examiners marking that paper are in England.” I remain convinced a drop in marks from an A to a C would have been a small price to pay for the satisfaction of annoying an Englishman.