Whither Constitutional Nationalism

Whither Constitutional Nationalism?

Daniel O Connell can be taken as the founder of constitutional nationalism in that he campaigned for the return of a national government to Ireland but under the Crown. O Connell pursued this goal by peaceful means and rejected the Republican violence of ‘ 98.

“ The altar of liberty totters when it is cemented only by blood”

Because of his adherence to the golden link of the Crown with Ireland the Young Irelanders left his party but the Young Irelanders only notable contribution to Ireland is the song – A Nation Once Again--.

The Republican Fenians followed who are remembered for a pathetic violent schemozzle known as The Battle of Widow Mc Cormack’s Cabbage Patch, the Tricolour and the song-- God Save Ireland.

The Fenians culminated in the Republican violence of 1916 which put a Catholic Parliament in the 26 counties and a border on the island

I wrote an article in this vein for the blog Slugger O Toole only to be lambasted by Republicans. Because of this article I was debarred from further contributions to the blog by the editor. I sent him an email asking for a reason for the censorship but got no reply.

An angry member of the SDLP wrote saying that O Connell was now obsolete in Ireland and all members of the SDLP were now Republican. If that is so then the SDLP should shut up shop and go into business with the constitutional Republican extremists Sinn Fein.

But there is still hope for constitutional nationalism in the person of Margaret Ritchie. She takes her seat at Westminster with out complaint an oath of allegiance without protest and has worn a poppy on Remembrance Sunday. Margaret should now go all the way in the spirit of O Connell and in the 21st century press for the reform of a U.K. constitution to a Federal Kingdom constitution expressed in the National Government of Ireland Act making a reformed Crown Head of State in all Ireland. Such an Ireland would be in keeping with the moderate peaceful constitution of O Connell so the SDLP should make that Ireland its raison d’etre

Michael Gillespie Derry




L’Derry