John Bruton
Ceist:5 Mr. J. Bruton asked the Taoiseach if any special arrangements will be made to commemorate the 75th anniversary of th death of John Redmond which occurs in 1993.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Commemoration of John Redmond.
There are no plans for a special commemoration.
Would the Taoiseach not agree that it would be appropriate to commemorate constitutional nationalism and the contribution it made to Irish life, given that this year we are commemorating Charles Stuart Parnell? Would it not also be appropriate to commemorate John Redmond who for many years led the party which Parnell did so much to form?
Yes, it is a good thing from time to time to commemorate the great men of the past. I hope it will happen to us all some day.
Sooner rather than later.
In the case of people of the stature of John Redmond it is best left to individual groups to undertake some suitable form of commemoration. The Government are not initiating an official commemoration in the case of Parnell. A stamp was issued to commemorate John Redmond on the hundredth anniversary of his birthday. It is not usual for any sort of official commemoration for the 75th anniversary.
Would the Taoiseach not agree that it is anomalous that this great Irishman is commemorated in Westminister and not here in the Parliament that his work did so much to establish?
For some people that has its own connotation.
What connotation has it for the Taoiseach?
I do not want to be polemic about this at all. It means that at this stage we can all look at John Redmond in an historic context. It indicates to me that he was probably accepted over there as a very skilled and able parliamentarian.
Would the Taoiseach consider the erection of a monument on the hill of Ballybricken to be appropriate, seeing that that is the home of the Redmondites?
The Deputy is not a bad spokesman for the Redmondites in modern times. I would not have any objection to that. I suggest to the Deputy, as I suggested to Deputy Bruton, that it would really be a matter for some local people to pursue such a project.
I take the earlier part of the Taoiseach's reply as a compliment. I only wish that there was a similar amount of backbone on the Government benches on occasion.
Question No. 6.
I am disappointed that the Deputy should drag the name of this distinguished parliamentarian, John Redmond, into modern political——
Why not?
——disputation.
(Interruptions.)
Do you not compare yourself to Julius Caesar at times, and to Napoleon?
Louis XVI would probably be a better comparison, given that the Government are like an ancient regime where no one is ever promoted.
To whom did the Deputy refer? I have a number of role models in history.
(Interruptions.)
et tu Brute.