Ireland and their Commemoration team of cross party representatives should have done a little research. The Famine was a major catastrophe caused to a large part by the greed of our colonial masters. When President Mary Robinson visited the UK to meet the Queen and Prime Minister John Major, among others, it was decided to “let sleeping dogs lie”. To mention the Famine, would quite rightly mean, that the Irish people would justify their fight in the North of Ireland against the Unionists and would also seek reparations from the British for the abuse and terror wreaked by 700 years of Colonial Rule. Wisdom and experience is summed up in these words which Mr Flanagan’s team should have considered. We must never forget the absentee landlords who left Ireland for London and lived like Kings and Queens but now in 2020 we still have landlords in Ireland, and increasing rents beyond what is acceptable. What has changed? It is summed up in Black47 film. It is appropriate to add that we have moved ahead to Vulture funds ie private equity companies who are the new landlords and have yet to show us how they will treat their “tenants”.
“Is it sensible to be doing this at any time, and especially during President Robinson’s visit to which it would introduce controversy? The Unionists are unlikely to sympathise; and Nationalist appetites seem more likely to be whetted than allayed. The prime minister would rather therefore that the proposal were not for the moment pursued. He would certainly not plan to attend himself.”
1