hether people want to admit it or not, the British monarchy will always be political given its unjustifiable colonial history, and especially when it comes to matters involving Ireland,
The recent debate regarding the offer of a portrait of British monarch King Charles III by the British Cabinet Office for our local Council civic buildings highlighted again the political polarisation effect of the British monarchy.
We know that the British government is referred to as ‘His Majesty’s Government,’ and that democratically elected members of the British Parliament are forced to swear an oath of allegiance to the monarch before they can cast votes.
The British monarch is also given the title of ‘Head of the Armed Forces’ and regularly takes part in military events.
These are just some of the countless examples to which you can point to the British monarchy being an inherently political entity – and I haven’t even mentioned its history in Ireland yet.
To many generations of Irish Nationalists, the image of the monarchy and the crown symbolises the subjugation of their lands by cold and uncaring governments in London, and conjures up a well-documented history of an oppressive colonial regime which brutally upheld penal laws and enforced cruel taxation and rent on a poverty-stricken people, even during the dark years of a so-called Great Famine.
From the 16th Century onwards, a succession of British monarchs set out to suppress and decimate every aspect of the Irish identity, from sports and pastimes to literature and placenames, and above all else, the Irish language.
If you think this history isn’t relevant to today’s world, then I would ask why one of the last penal laws banning the use of Irish language in the courtroom was just revoked last year in 2022 with the arrival of Acht na Gaeilge via the Culture, Language and Identity Bill?
It is even more mind boggling to believe that anyone today would take seriously the ‘Divine Right of Kings’, or the legitimacy of an unelected family, to sit on a throne and maintain a vast amount of private wealth accumulated throughout the years, while also receiving considerable financial support from the taxpayers.
During this serious cost of living crisis when people are struggling to pay their bills and to keep food on the table, surely the question must be asked whether the unelected British monarchy – or any monarchy, for that matter – should exist at ,all and if this archaic and outdated remnant of colonialism is past its sell by date?
This no doubt will be a looming question for the British people in due course as the gap continues to widen, and people become less enthusiastic about the pageantry and nonsensical charade.
As an Irish Republican, I simply do not believe that anyone is born to rule or given any right to hold a governing position, even a figurehead one, without being elected through some mechanism or form of democracy.
As US President Abraham Lincoln said, nobody is good enough to govern over another person without that person’s consent.
I do not, and will never, recognise a British monarch as having any authority or claim over Ireland, no more than I would recognise a claim from Denmark over Dublin, considering that it was first established as a Viking settlement.
Of course, it is important to respect the fact that there is a significant proportion of people here who have a great affinity with the British monarchy.
And it is important that in an emerging shared Ireland, that anyone who identifies as British continues to have the right to express their identity, the same as is afforded to people with an Irish identity and those with a mixed identity.
It is the sign of a healthy society that the differences between people are respected, and that contested issues can be discussed openly, and with the utmost tolerance of opposing views.
However, it is exactly because we have public spaces which cater for everyone in our society, that the neutrality and shared nature of these spaces must be protected.
In my opinion, this is precisely what Fermanagh and Omagh District Council’s policy relating to displaying of flags, emblems etc. in public spaces does, and does well.
From my term as an elected councillor, and former Vice-Chair, I know firsthand the efforts that the Council staff and elected members go to towards serving the interests of everyone in our district, and the genuine goodwill that exists within our district.
The policy ensures that our shared spaces remain welcoming towards everyone, no matter what their background might be.
In my opinion, we have incredibly hardworking and talented people within our Fermanagh and Omagh district who contribute enormously to daily life here, such as community and charity workers, academics, artists, athletes, businesspeople, coaches, farmers, historians, healthcare workers, musicians, performers, volunteers, young people, and so many more, all of whom, I believe, are vastly more worthy of recognition.
So, instead of looking across the Irish Sea, it’s time we started to celebrate the people in our own district who really make our lives better, and who contribute to society.
To me, that would paint a better portrait of Fermanagh and Omagh.
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