From Unity, 5 April 2008

Welcome to Belfast!

Unity, the weekly paper of the Communist Party of Ireland, sends greetings to the National Union of Journalists.
     The National Union of Journalists is holding its annual delegate meeting in Belfast for the first time. Journalists are a very influential body when it comes to public opinion, but in fact they do not always have the power, or the will, to speak as they should. However, their conference will be addressing issues that are crucial to progressive people. They include child abuse, media freedom, migrant workers, racism, and pensions. On the international scene issues relating to war and human rights, in Iraq, Palestine, Israel and Gaza, Pakistan, China, and Africa, are up for debate. Cuba’s fiftieth anniversary comes in for some special recognition also.
     A memorial meeting for the journalist Marty O’Hagan, who was killed by reactionaries, will be held, and a plaque to him will be unveiled in the Linen Hall Library on Thursday 3 April. The guest speaker will be the Palestinian human rights lawyer Raji Sourani, recipient of the RFK Human Rights Award. Palestinian solidarity groups will have a stall at the meeting.
     Ironically enough, the conference is taking place in the Europa Hotel, renowned for being the most bombed hotel in Europe and for some journalists who “reported” from the bar. We got used to them to some extent, and even sang songs about them.

               Ireland is a very funny place, sir,
               It’s a strange and a troubled land;
               And the Irish are a very funny race, sir:
               Every girl in Cumann na mBan,
               Every doggy has a Tricolour ribbon
               Tied firmly to its tail,
               And it wouldn’t be surprising if there’d be another rising,
               Said the man from the Daily Mail.

               Oh the other day I travelled down to Clare, sir,
               And I spied an old boreen;
               Such a squad of right and heavy Garda there, sir,
               Dressed in orange, white and green.
               They marched with the German goose-step
               As they whistled “Granuaile,”
               And I’m shaking in my shoes as I’m giving out the news,
               Said the man from the Daily Mail.

     Unity welcomes all progressive journalists to Ireland.

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