Source: Why Fianna Fáil isn’t meeting local election target on female candidates, by Averil Power in the Irish Times, April 2, 2014.
Irish Honors Seminar Spring 2014 |
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‘This trailblazing woman (Countess Constance Markievicz, above) would be horrified that the party she helped establish doesn’t have a single female TD today.’ Source: Why Fianna Fáil isn’t meeting local election target on female candidates, by Averil Power in the Irish Times, April 2, 2014. This post will serve as a free-form opportunity to deeply explore topics, issues, ideas, inquiries, events and/or people that may not have been directly or critically addressed and/or discussed in class, but which, nonetheless, piqued an intense interest relative to our politics unit and a desire for independent research and cybersleuthing comprised of a more personalized and focused nature.
22 Comments
Austin F
4/5/2014 05:06:49 am
With the amount of work we've done into the Troubles and the various paramilitary groups, I decided to look more into the political groups behind the paramilitary groups and their formations. Sinn Fein, Fianna Fail, and Fine Gael seem to be the names come up the most often with regards to the Irish political process, however there is also the Green party and Labour Party. All of them elect members to take seat in the Dail, the lower house of the Oireachtas (the Irish Parliament). The Seanad, the upper house, is not directly elected but by various other methods and has less influence, usually only able to delay laws instead of vetoing them. In the Dail, the Fine Gael and Labour Party are considered to be on the side of the Irish Government, but Sinn Fein, Fianna Fail, Green Party, and various smaller parties are considered in Opposition. This stance of opposition is likely referring back to the formation of the groups.
Jessica L
4/5/2014 11:18:25 am
Following our learning about the antecedents to the 1916 Easter Rising and subsequent events, I became interested in learning more about Irish socialist and revolutionary James Connolly. I find it particularly interesting that Connolly incorporated economic views into his perspective on Ireland, which set him apart from most other revolutionaries of the time. Connolly’s socialistic ideas were largely influenced by his readings on Karl Marx, as well as his observations of the terrible condition of the working class in Ireland. I was surprised to learn that as a leader of the Easter Rising, Connolly was in fact more concerned with social and economic reform – that is, with Ireland’s “freedom from capital abuse” – rather than with true independence from Britain and the establishment of the Irish Free State. Leading up to the uprising, Connolly was involved with the promotion of worker rights. He co-founded the Irish Labour Party with James Larkin in 1912, and later organized the Irish Citizen Army (ICA), which protected workers during the Dublin Lockout strike in 1913. I find it interesting that the Easter Rising was largely a collaborative effort between disparate factions of revolutionaries: namely, the ICA led by Connolly and the Irish Republican Brotherhood (IRB) led by Patrick Pearse. While I understand that James Connolly played an important role in guiding the operations of the uprising, I am curious about why Connolly’s socialistic views were particularly influential during this time. Was it that Connolly’s desire for greater class equality fueled a rebellious spirit? Or did the Easter Rising in fact have nothing to do with socialism at all?
Kirstie Gorthy
4/5/2014 07:28:36 pm
Over the past few weeks on the topic of politics, we have covered an array of interesting segments. Along the way, several questions and thoughts were raised in my head. For one, I was curious as to what the Dublin Lockout was and what was James Larkin’s role. Upon research, I found out that the Dublin Lockout was a strike and a dispute between several thousand laborers and a few hundred employers. This largely affected men during this period because not many women worked. The central argument made had to do with the worker’s rights. They were not being treated fairly in terms of pay, benefits, and even within the conditions they had to work in. Their basic human rights as an employee were being compromised, and thus they decided to stand up for themselves. The economics of their situations are quite fascinating because many workers were living in such terrible poverty, with barely enough to subsist and not enough to live in a less toxic environment. Just their living conditions alone were increasing the death rate immensely from diseases like tuberculosis. The wages many received were half what others made in London, thus death was not uncommon. Eventually, the workers realized they couldn't win, ending the strike in early 1914.
Adam G
4/6/2014 05:56:53 am
This is a great examination of a really interesting subject, Kirstie. It's really interesting how Ireland has such a heavily Socialist background. I don't necessarily agree with the Socialist ideology, but it's interesting how some Socialist values have been carried into modern Irish politics, and some have not. As I talk about in my blog post, it's also interesting how a country with such heavy Socialist roots can be so socially conservative.
Adam G
4/6/2014 05:49:56 am
Throughout the Politics unit, we have discussed the nature of the Irish political system and the country’s history extensively, but as we looked at these subjects, I became interested in the social issues of Ireland, and how they relate to the United States and the rest of the world. I was aware that the country is rather conservative, especially compared to other European countries, and my research confirmed this fact. Racism, sexism, and homophobia are prevalent issues in Irish politics, due to the conservative nature of the country. It’s really quite interesting that a country that has suffered such persecution has been so liable to persecute minority groups. Homosexuality was illegal until 1993 in the Republic of Ireland, and civil unions weren’t granted until 2010. Ireland, being a conservative country, has strict gender roles entrenched in its culture, where the woman stays at home, and the man provides. Racism, too, is an issue, and a recent University College Dublin study indicated that more than half of foreigners currently living in the Republic of Ireland are subject to racist attitudes, both on the streets and in relation to those in power. It really is surprising and somewhat depressing to me that a country which has such strong Socialist roots has such problems in social issues, though I can see why that is the case.
Kirstie Gorthy
4/6/2014 06:36:01 am
I love this post, Adam! I had researched a little on Ireland's views and the United Kingdom's views on homosexuality a couple blog posts ago too. I was so surprised to learn how recent their advancements were, but it makes sense why they were late to the punch due to how conservative they are. Also, their views on gender roles are interesting too, though in Ireland they have already had two women presidents... Hmmmm! I wonder if we will ever see that here in the United States!
Amelia
4/6/2014 06:31:59 am
The Anglo-Irish Treaty was a major part of Ireland which split Ireland in two. I think that is extremely important and something that many people do not know about. This includes myself, until I started this course. The treaty established Ireland as a free state within the British Empire, and also allowed for Northern Ireland to be formed. Northern Ireland had the option to be part of the Irish Free State but it didn’t. The treaty was signed by Michael Collins and Arthur Griffith.
Natalie Kellett
4/6/2014 07:08:03 am
Something that we haven’t touched on much in the class is the Black and Tans (British Special Forces Unit) and their role during the Irish War of independence. To understand the Black and Tans, we must first understand the Royal Irish Constabulary (RIC); the RIC was Ireland’s armed police force and was seen as a symbol of foreign English oppression. As the RIC started to enforce eviction orders in rural Ireland, the Roman Catholic and poorer population begun to lose respect for and distrust them. As Michael Collins and the IRA started to attack British governmental forces, the RIC bore the brunt of the violence and assassinations. They were mostly targeted because of their role as local representatives and intelligence gathers for the British government. In October of 1920, the British government had recorded 117 RIC deaths and 185 RIC members wounded; at the same time the British government also recorded that 600 out of the 9,500 RIC members had resigned in the last six months. In order to control the IRA in Ireland and give much needed support to the RIC, the British government sent over an Auxiliary Division for the RIC; this division would soon be referred to as the “Black and Tans” because of the black and tan uniforms they would wear. The “Black and Tans” were recruited from the British veterans of WWI, who were often hardened from their experiences in the warfare.
Jordan W
4/6/2014 07:14:27 am
Since the beginning of this class, I have been interested in Irish literature, including renowned Irish poets and writers, their inspiration, and how Irish politics affected their works. To no surprise then, I will be writing about Irish literature in this free-from blog post. To keep this brief, I will focus my attention on Jonathan Swift and W. B. Yeats.
Tegan
4/6/2014 07:47:22 am
For a while, I've been curious about about these Drink Driving Laws in Ireland. According to the Road Safety Authority, "Ireland has a chronic drink driving problem." This is opinion is brought about by Ireland's ranking among the highest alcohol consuming countries in the EU. Some notable stats: on average, 347 drivers are arrested each week on suspicion of drink driving, 21% of fatal crashes between 6am and noon are alcohol related, and one in three non-fatal crashes are alcohol related. Several studies have been done on drink driving in Ireland, and much of this same information was found in each. I found it interesting that in the majority of these studies, males largely outnumbered females among those drivers with alcohol found in their system. In at least one study, every single driver was male. That lead to the statement that drink driving is "a male problem." I find that interesting (and a bit amusing,) and wonder why drink driving is tremendously more prominent among males. As Professor Coe mentioned, the laws have changed recently in an effort to reduce the number of alcohol related accidents and deaths. The legal limit of BAC used to be 0.08, and is now 0.05. However, the limits are different for different drivers. There are higher limits set for fully licensed, more experienced drivers than for those still learning to drive, or those who just received their license. The experienced drivers limited a BAC of 0.05; the novice drivers are limited a BAC of 0.02. Professional drivers are also limited to 0.02. The penalty for drink driving is "disqualification" from a license for 1-6 years, a fine, and penalty points are given as well. So, the laws aren't that much different from those here in the U.S. I'm not sure how I feel about the different limits set for different drivers. On one hand, it seems logical to set more restrictions on inexperienced drivers and professional drivers who are on the job (and probably shouldn't be drinking anyway then?) On the other hand, it's not like more driving experience is going to override the effects of alcohol on a person's ability to function. What do you guys think?
Amanda T.
4/6/2014 07:56:56 am
In one of my previous blog posts, I wondered why people opposed the Easter rebellion in the first place if they were all wanted the same end goal: freedom from the British. This free-form blog post will be dedicated to the 1916 Easter Rising and the attitudes people had towards the outbreak. As we have learned in class, the rising was organized by the Irish Republican Brotherhood as an attempt to establish an Irish republic free from British rule. Following the outbreak of World War 1, the British suspended the Home Rule bill. This bill guaranteed a measure of political autonomy to Ireland and taking it away angered many Nationalists. At first, many Irish civilians opposed the rebellion and the various uprising events that took place during Easter week 1916 because it seemed like a foolish act of treason and they were angered by the number of fatalities and the scale of destruction caused. The timing of the rebellion was also disgraceful and outraged those with relatives fighting with the British Army in World War 1. The leaders of the rebellion were forced to accept the only terms being offered by the British with was unconditional surrender. After surrendering to the British, the rebel leaders were executed.
Kate O
4/6/2014 08:05:26 am
A number of highly interesting people have been discussed and mentioned during our discussions on the political system and history of Ireland. Among these political figures is Daniel O’Connell, for whom the main street in Dublin is named. (Perhaps my interest in this political activist is due mostly to our common surnames.) Daniel O’Connell, known as the Liberator, was one of Ireland’s most prominent and famous nationalist leaders at the turn of the 19th century. After attending law school in France and England, O’Connell returned to his native Ireland to practice law. As a political activist, he saw the value and power in using the court room as a platform to advance various political agendas. He fought fiercely against British anti-Catholic laws and signed the Catholic emancipation petition.
Jonah S
4/6/2014 11:46:55 am
Interesting stuff, Kate. Maybe I am missing your point, but this feels a little bit like an instance of politically correct spying. It's interesting that this "Liberator" made his way into British government to reform the laws related to the ruling of Ireland. Clearly he was not a spy (is it clear?), but I like that he took a more interesting route than armed rebellion. Granted, it seems to have backfired, but at least someone tried to fix things without guns. Great post!
Derrick G
4/6/2014 08:35:58 am
I was very curious about the Easter Rising events and particularly the Black and Tans. The violence associated with them seemingly made them into perfect villains so I wanted to learn more about them as in Irish conflicts there rarely seems to be a set right and wrong side. I discovered that they were established by Winston Churchill in 1919 as a result of the growing disorder and chaos caused by the IRA. Interestingly enough, the Black and Tans were not entirely British, but contained some Irishmen as well. The British decided to increase the number of soldiers stationed and soon began asking for recruits. This led to a spike troop numbers which is actually what led to the nickname Black and Tans. There were not enough uniforms for everyone and to the RIC gave the new recruits tan trousers and British Police caps. They received little training before being sent out and were often tasked with helping another British unit, the Auxiliaries. I found out that many of these recruits were often veterans from WW1. This surprised me that an undertrained unit could be considered so brutal. A common description I ran across was that, "They had neither religion nor morals, they used foul language, they had the old soldier's talent for dodging and scrounging, called the Irish 'natives', associated with low company, stole from each other, sneered at the customs of the country and drank to excess." I began to find a repeated perceived incompetence in their skills which is used to explain why they were so violent. They "used to murder, rob, loot, and burn up the innocent because they could not catch the few guilty on the run". Now, I imagine the Black and Tans as crass, violent drunken veterans who were simply ravaging all they could because it was something they had gotten used to. A story I found recounted a few times that seems to perfectly illustrate that description is the following. “When a Tan was killed in Cork, they burnt down more than 300 buildings in the city centre and afterwards proudly pinned pieces of burnt cork to their caps.”
Cynthia J.
4/6/2014 11:19:28 am
Blog Post Politics #4
Kara
4/6/2014 02:13:54 pm
I thought that was an interesting scene as well. It actually reminded me of The Poor Mouth by Flann O'Brian. He wrote about the earlier days of British colonization of Ireland and how the kids in schools were forced to speak english. Control of Language is a big deal. Similar thing happened in the United States with the Native Americans.
Jonah Shuman
4/6/2014 11:40:07 am
I decided to look into healthcare in Ireland because healthcare systems and policies are often tied to politics (sadly). Like most things in Ireland, healthcare looks different in Northern Ireland and the Republic. In the north, the NHS is the primary source of coverage, similar to other countries in the UK. The NHS provides care that is funded by taxpayers, but directly paid for by the government. Socialized healthcare is a controversial topic in many places, but the UK is making it work (albeit not without some bugs in the system). Private insurance is an option that one may choose to purchase, which grants coverage for private physicians and hospitals as well as further coverage in various areas. Many do not choose private insurance, as the care provided by the NHS is often sufficient for the average person. Overall, people are proud of and have high opinions of this system.
Jazmin F
4/6/2014 01:33:13 pm
For this unit I have been interested in the role of women in Politics. At first I was really excited because Ireland has had two female presidents, however, I learned that the representation of women in parliament is very low. Similar to America there is roughly twenty percent of women holding political office positions. There are 25 women in the Dáil Éireann and 18 in Seanad Éireann. I find this troubling because politics, in Ireland and America, means representation of a country’s people. Since women make up more than half of the population this should be reflected in the political system. Instead the system represents women as if they were a minority group, which is obviously not the case. In my research I found the main reason for misrepresentation is strong traditional gender roles as well as religious ideals regarding gender issues. If women are not involved in politics then decisions that affect them do not get discussed. In Ireland these issues include: divorce laws, women’s health, access to education, and access to the work force.
Rachel
4/6/2014 02:27:01 pm
One thing that really interested me from the slides we went over in class the other day was Kilmainham Gaol, the prison where James Connolly was executed. I wanted to see what role this site played in the history of political prisoners in Ireland.
K. Brown
4/6/2014 02:33:03 pm
This time, I am researching political cartoons because they express complex truths in a simple manner that is often fused with humor. Clearly, this is a good way to explore politics. In addition, this provides a useful outlet for those of us who are good for little else than to draw pictures. The first link will unveil a more recent political cartoon that I found on the Cain website. The exact date is contestable, but it is from sometime after the second ceasefire agreement, based on the subject matter. Its author is Martyn Turner. The irony in this cartoon is clear, it plays on this inconsistencies of the agreement since violence has continued since. It seems to allude to the inherently violent nature of the Irish paramilitaries, as if they are incapable of comprehending what a ceasefire means in actuality. At least they are incapable of following through.
Riannon Atwater
4/6/2014 02:57:23 pm
During class when we first started talking about the conflicts in Ireland, Judy had mentioned that the women in Ireland also took part in the fighting. I found this really interesting considering you don’t see much of this in other regions of the world. So as part of my cybersleuthing, I decided to research major political figures that were women in Ireland and it doesn’t look like there are many. One article that I read (I included the link below) discusses the reasons that they think Irish women aren’t prominent in Irish politics and these are: “childcare, cash, culture, confidence and candidate selection.” It seems like they believe that the reason that there aren’t many women in Irish politics is more because women don’t have the resources that they need for a proper political presence (mainly because they lack time and money since Irish women still play a prominent role in the house and child rearing).
Peter C
4/6/2014 03:38:40 pm
There are two current movements within current Irish politics that really sparked my interest. Both of these issues involve immigration. One movement is trying to push for the ability for those who have emigrated out of Ireland to still be able to vote. Arguments include that a large portion of Irish emigrants have been forced to leave due to the recent downturn in the Irish economy. With an unemployment rate that has been over 11% for quite a few years; a percentage of Irish simply cannot find jobs in Ireland anymore. Though they would like to remain they have to make a living somehow. The movement to extend the vote to first generation emigrants hopes that they can continue to influence Irish politics to fix current issues. For those who emigrate often see these issues better than those who stay. I believe that this is actually a good movement on both a political level and an economic level. With the ability to continue to influence politics outside of the country, this could cause a surge in citizens who then return to the country. Everyone who leaves is a waste of the capital required to raise and educate a child. Getting the populace to return due to decisions they helped make would truly benefit the country. Leave a Reply. |