Left Archive: The French Revolution and the Irish Struggle, National Graves Association (Longford Branch), 1989 July 27, 2020
Posted by leftarchivist in Irish Left Online Document Archive.trackback
To download the above please click on the following link. frenchrevirishstrugl.pdf
Please click here to go the Left Archive.
Many thanks to the person who forwarded this to the Archive.
This short document printed reprints a lecture given by Seán Ó Brádaigh in Dublin on 21st January, 1989, to mark the 70th Anniversary of the first Dáil and explores links between ‘Irish and French Republicans – ‘Partners in Revolution’ 200 Years Ago’.
The conclusion is particularly notable:
As Irish Republicans we are all in the tradition of Tone and the United Irishmen. That tradition was born of an Irish separatism which was given a new direction and new lease of life by the inspiration of the events of 1789 in France. The generous ideas of the First French Republic born in blood 200 years ago, are part of an inheritance which has inspired very generation of Irish people since then and inspires us today.
We are children of Ireland, but we are also, as Irish Republicans ‘infants de la patria’ because the school of Irish Republicanism is a Franco-Irish school and we have all been there. Liberty, Equality, Fraternity are noble ideal which still inspire us and for which we still struggle, both North and South of the British-created border.
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The Cedar Lounge Revolution 
“we are also, as Irish Republicans ‘infants de la patria’”. Not according to the CLR mast we’re not. Ni patrie ni patron. 🙂
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No indeed, Joe, until people who persist in having a patria come along and f*** us about.
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Yes DROC. It will take more than a slogan to get rid of those pesky patriae. Historically, allegiance to patria seems to trump allegiance to class (Latin word anyone?) whenever push has come to shove.
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Which begs the question is the “Patrie” of an oppressed nation the same as the patrie of an oppressor one?
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Bien sur. C’est la meme chose. Certainement. Une patrie … c’est une patrie, non?
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Mais non mon ami! Un marxiste n’est pas nécessairement le même qu’un marxiste!
😉
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Touché.
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Et…https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RDHjeiys3a0
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That’s the best use of touché I’ve ever seen!
And Plastic Bertrand, a star, a true pioneer.
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I heard touché used better. Pat McCartan TD at a local party meeting. The Constituency Sec had sent some letters using Dáil envelopes. McCartan says to him why did you put the PdeR initials on the letters and not the PMcC initials? The Constituency Sec says I did, except for the one I sent you because I didn’t want the postman looking at the letter and saying ‘why is this chap sending letters to himself?’. To which the suave future judge said: ‘Touché’.
Plastic Bertrand. Absolutely. A pioneer. It’s great the way French popular and musical culture has remained unpolluted by the dominant AngloAmerican cultural behemoth. Monsieur Bertrand being a great modern example of something uniquely French.
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Every day is a school day. After 40+ years I’ve become informed the song title of Plastic Bertrand’s hit is not “Ca plein pour moi” but “Ca plane pour moi”. I thought he was singing about having had enough, but no. Thanks for that Joe. Now I’ll be humming that to myself for the rest of the day.
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He’s Belgian by the way, not French. Those Belgians are touchy about that type of mistake, in my experience.
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Une patrie, peut etre?
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