The Thistle and Shamrock Entwined Scotland is a nation with nothing to lose but its fear by voting ‘Yes’ in the independence referendum. Given the Irish community’s commitment to social justice, solidarity and a shared rich ancestral heritage with Scotland, we should be among the foremost advocates of independence. Scotland and Ireland have a unique relationship which extends over a thousand years. The very name of the emergent nation of Scotland was derived from its Gaelic roots – Scotia, the land of the Scotti, the original preferred Latin name for the Irish. The contribution that the Irish have made to Scotland is incalculable. The huge construction schemes of nineteenth-century cities and the associated infrastructure of roads, railways, canals, docks and harbours depended on the vast supply of Irish labour. The Irish also made their mark on progressive politics in Scotland, especially on the emerging labour and trade union movement. The most obvious and celebrated Scottish connection to Ireland is in the person of James Connolly, socialist pioneer and Commander in Chief of the Republican forces in the Easter Rising. Born in Edinburgh’s Cowgate on June 5th 1868, Connolly was executed by the British in Kilmainham Jail on 12 May 1916. During the Irish War of Independence John Maclean, the great socialist republican, was deeply committed to supporting the struggle of Scotland’s fellow Celts. This verse from Ian Davison’s fine ballad ‘Remember John Maclean’ encapsulates with admirable clarity, Maclean’s involvement with Ireland. He fought for the Irish people, He was Ireland’s greatest friend; Against the might of Empire, He backed them to the end. In May 1920 Maclean began to write numerous articles in support of the Irish struggle and urged Scots, as fellow Gaels, not to be used as tools for murdering the Irish. He published a pamphlet, The Irish Tragedy: Scotland’s Disgrace which sold 20,000 copies. In line with these sentiments Maclean organised a successful ‘Hands Off Ireland’ campaign, which contributed to his deep popularity among the Irish on Clydeside who idolised him. The Irish and Scots share a common ancestry and despite the devastating effect of the British imperialist policy of using Celt against Celt, including the disgraceful role of the Scottish regiments of the British army in keeping Ireland secure for the empire; a close examination of the historical ties between Scotland and Ireland affords us an alternative narrative to that issued by the imperialists in their efforts to keep us apart through the policy of divide et empera. We have the strange phenomenon of the ‘green Brits’. These people pay lip service to the cause of Irish unity and independence whilst defending the British imperialist state. They seem to ignore the fact that through study, James Connolly came to the conclusion that political and social freedom are not two separate and unrelated ideas, but two sides of the one great principle, each being incomplete without the other. In other words, as stated by him a month before his execution: “The cause of Labour is the cause of Ireland; the cause of Ireland is the cause of Labour. They cannot be dissevered.” His words have a special relevance for the way that the Irish in Scotland should approach the independence referendum. Instead of propping up a morally and politically bankrupt British State which is the stance of ‘Lord Naw Naw’ George Galloway, Lord John Reid, Michael McMahon and their ilk; the Connolly position and that of his friend and comrade John Maclean, was to break from the British State and restore national independence, as a prerequisite to achieving a socially just society free from the coat tails of empire. Voting ‘Yes’ in the referendum would not only help bring about a better quality of life for the people that live here, but would aid the cause of Irish unity and independence for our ancestral homeland. Mr Galloway would have us believe that that by opting for independence, we are somehow abandoning workers in Bradford and Liverpool to the vagaries of Tory rule. My response to him is that Scotland is not a region of England but a nation that is entitled to self-determination. Would he state that the workers of Dublin and Cork were wrong to have chosen to end British rule in Ireland because they had more in common with English workers? The truth is that solidarity transcends national boundaries as Scotland has demonstrated in the past by its strong support for an end to Apartheid in South Africa and current support for the long suffering people of Gaza. Irish for Yes is a campaigning group endorsed by Yes Scotland, which was formed in May of this year. The initiative is a response to a feeling among many of the Irish diaspora, that we have a vital role to play in helping Scotland regain its independence. We believe that voting ‘Yes’ is the best way to make our nation wealthier, fairer and more socially just. Irish for Yes has its own website and twitter account and is actively promoting the independence cause among the diaspora at numerous cultural and sporting events through the dissemination of campaign materials and talking to people. This is an exciting time to live in Scotland and be part of a historic moment in the nation’s journey. Irish for Yes are convinced a ‘Yes result would lead to the strengthening of relations between Scotland and Ireland as both nations can experience the status of successful sovereign and independent nations. For as Charles Stewart Parnell famously said: “No man has the right to fix the boundary to the march of a nation”.
Posted on: Tue, 09 Sep 2014 18:43:56 +0000
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