B&ICO/Aubane Historical Society/Irish Political Review

[Starkadder]

It seems the Aubane Historical Society are everywhere these
days. They have been heavily involved in the controversy over
the "Hidden History/Coolacrease" documentary.

They have also been claiming in the "Irish Examiner"
that Elizabeth Bowen should not be
accepted as an Irish writer because of her activities in WWII.

http://archives.tcm.ie/irishexaminer/20 ... y41677.asp

And the linked Irish Political Review Group have recently issued a
statement praising " the recent High Court ruling against the Irish Times because of its refusal to comply with instructions from the Mahon Tribunal".

http://www.village.ie/Forum/Media_Blog/ ... s_Support/

Even more unusually, several members of these groups (Brendan &
Angela Clifford, Jack Lane, David Alvey etc.) were involved in
the "British and Irish Communist Organisation", a Leninist group
that was also strongly pro-Ulster Unionist.
See this article "From Peking to Aubane":

http://www.indymedia.ie/article/80451

Curiouser and curiouser, as Lewis Carroll would say.

[RBinge]

If an execution was necessary, why was it botched?

[Starkadder]

That's a good point. It's the point Pat Muldowney hasn't been able to answer.

The actual B&ICO no longer exists, although some of the many groups it set up, such as the
Aubane Historical Society and the Ernest Bevin Society
(a UK Labour Party group) are still active in political and cultural matters.

[Starkadder]

There's some more info about B&ICO/AHS/IPRG here:

http://cedarlounge.wordpress.com/?s=RCP ... tton=go%21

and:

http://splinteredsunrise.wordpress.com/ ... ish-times/

They've always been highly controversial, in all their incarnations.

[Starkadder]

The B&ICO started off as the pro-Republican Irish Communist Organisation,changed
to the pro-Loyalist B&ICO, then worked with the Campaign for Labour Representation (a British
Labour party group) and finally reverted back to a (conservative)
Irish Nationalism in the mid-90s.

The organisation was always
small (at the height of its influence, in the early 70s, it had about
50 members) but published a lot of material.

What a long strange trip it was for them.....

[Starkadder]

Apparently, Jim Kemmy knew both Tomas MacGiolla of the Workers' Party
as well as several members of B&ICO. Kemmy may have influenced
the former organisation's embrace of anti-republican position.

See this link, *WP was in accord with Jim Kemmy* :

http://archives.tcm.ie/irishexaminer/19 ... page_7.htm

[Catalpa]

The B&ICO started off as the pro-Republican Irish Communist Organisation,changed
to the pro-Loyalist B&ICO, then worked with the Campaign for Labour Representation (a British
Labour party group) and finally reverted back to a (conservative)
Irish Nationalism in the mid-90s.

The organisation was always
small (at the height of its influence, in the early 70s, it had about
50 members) but published a lot of material.

What a long strange trip it was for them.....

Bad batch of LSD probably - they're still coming down....

[Starkadder]

One member of B&ICO, David Alvey was secretary of B&ICO's Dublin branch.

Alvey was active in Kemmy's election campaign in Limerick

(see Irish Times, Feb. 16 1982). Alvey also defended Section 31, the

RUC and the infamous Diplock courts (e.g.see Irish Times, Aug. 3rd, 1984).

He was also active in the Campaign to Seperate Church & State.

In 1986, he also set up the Irish Political Review magazine, which in

originally was strongly pro-Unionist (the March 1988 issue claimed the

RUC were being too soft on the IRA(!)) and anti-Catholic (Sr. Stanislaus

Kennedy was was viciously attacked in the May 1989 issue).

Now, he seems to be going under the name of Daithi O hAilbhe

and implying that "Bertiegate" is the fault of the Dublin

4 liberals.

Not a nice man.

[PaddyDevlin]

One member of B&ICO, David Alvey was secretary of B&ICO's Dublin branch.

Alvey was active in Kemmy's election campaign in Limerick

(see Irish Times, Feb. 16 1982). Alvey also defended Section 31, the

RUC and the infamous Diplock courts (e.g.see Irish Times, Aug. 3rd, 1984).

He was also active in the Campaign to Seperate Church & State.

In 1986, he also set up the Irish Political Review magazine, which in

originally was strongly pro-Unionist (the March 1988 issue claimed the

RUC were being too soft on the IRA(!)) and anti-Catholic (Sr. Stanislaus

Kennedy was was viciously attacked in the May 1989 issue).

Now, he seems to be going under the name of Daithi O hAilbhe

and implying that "Bertiegate" is the fault of the Dublin

4 liberals.

The man is a textbook example of what Theodor Adorno called

"The Authoritarian Personality."

Peversely for a group dedicated to ending sectarian politics who rightly recognised the unworkable nature of the six county polity they are untterly convinced that the six counties must be totally subsumed into another nation state.

In the 70s and 80s they backed full integration into the British polity seeking the abolition of the six county party system with its replacement by Tory v Labour politics. They backed hardline integrationalists holding up the UK as a progressive secular multi cultural society in contrast to the Republic which was a backward mono-cultural conservative peasant state.

Unionists having not bought into full integration in British politics saw them seek a new saviour in and all Ireland Republic. Now Britain became irrediemably imperialist sponsoring their colony in NI and Fianna Fail's Ireland became a progressive republican meritocracy.

All of the above was advocated as a socialist group

The real solution is to recognise the six counties is both Irish & British and while six county politics has no internal dynamic save sectarianism and the east-west and north-south politics needs to grow to allow the north become like mainstream Ireland and Britain.

The authoritarianism is in the fanatical belief full integration into a nation state is the only solution (as if that one hasn't been tried before!). They've many a noble idea but do themselves a disservice with a fanatical attachment to the nation state - they don't seem fussy as to whether it is Ireland or Britain - what next an nine county independent Ulster?

[cropbeye]

The B&ICO started off as the pro-Republican Irish Communist Organisation,changed
to the pro-Loyalist B&ICO, then worked with the Campaign for Labour Representation (a British
Labour party group) and finally reverted back to a (conservative)
Irish Nationalism in the mid-90s.

The organisation was always
small (at the height of its influence, in the early 70s, it had about
50 members) but published a lot of material.

What a long strange trip it was for them.....

Nice post but things are a bit more nuanced than that. Of the fifty people you mention several have fallen out with each other over the years. The
Political Review often publish material that isnt in aggreement with Brendan Clifford.

The principals Clifford , Jack Lane , Walsh, Muldowney , Keenan etc have had legitimate changes of heart over the years for sure. Some times I aggree with them some times I don't.

However while they endevoured to point to the importance of the people on the island who did not consider themselves to be Irish and the need for new thinking in the are at no time were they in support of the Ulster Unionist leadership.

The last time I spoke to Clifford he said he no longer considers himself to be a Socialist. Strange how people can forgive Harris and co. for this but not people who may have had a link to B.I.C.O at some point.

As regards the Elizabeth Bowen issue I think (and this is form my reading) what was being argued is that she was not loyal to the Irish Government or the Irish State (26 counties to Republicans out there). So the basis of the thesis is linked to the fact the State (Freestate) and the Government (DeVelara administration) which had recently asserted itself in the late thirties on treaty ports etc was not good enough for her .

It is arguable (I am between two minds) that the current state and Government through Heritage trusts or academia might be better not to fall over backwards to clame her. A bit like the confusion around the time Bob Geldof was being turned into a saint in the U.K and Thatcher called
him a true Brit.