http://www.upmj.co.uk/No%20thanks.htm

No Justice for Protestants in a United Ireland

SHORTLY after the announcement of the paramilitary ceasefires in 1994,
headlines in the print and broadcast media began to reflect on 'The Celtic
Tiger.'

With European Community funding the Irish Republic was being redeveloped and
it's slumping economy was being shored up thanks to millions of Euro's
pumped into the country by bureaucrats from Strasbourg and Brussels.

Having just come through almost 30-years of conflict which saw the IRA
bombing and shooting the heart out of the Northern Ireland economy -Irish
Republicans began to boast 'how great it would be if we were all one.'

One has to ask- "Could the Republic of Ireland's economy withstand 30 years
of terrorism?"

If we look back at Londonderry, during the early 1970's there was a time
when only 20 businesses were operating in the city at the height of the IRA'
s campaign - ironically the man who masterminded this terror campaign in
Northern Ireland's second city was Martin McGuinness - then IRA Officer
Commanding of the Doire Oglaigh Na Eireann (Derry Brigade of the IRA. Now Mr
McGuinness MP, MLA is Northern Irealnd's Minister for Education.

Despite the poverty displayed in the Irish Republic, Ulster Protestants have
long been unwilling to move into the state which former Irish Cabinet
Minister Noel Browne described as 'a monolithic Catholic state.'

Eamon De Valera went one step further openly declaring the Republic of
Ireland as 'A Catholic Ireland for a Catholic nation.'

It is hardly surprising that Northern Ireland's Protestant community does
not wish to become one with a country which will not tolerate their religion
or culture.

Speaking to the press just two months after the first IRA ceasefire in 1994,
Dr Browne warned Protestants to beware of a United Ireland, stating that
successive Irish Governments had conducted a campaign of ethnic cleansing
against Protestants living in the South of Ireland.

Dr Browne claimed that Irish politicians have since 1922 ignored the
opportunity to build a secular pluralist society that might appeal to
Protestants and they have never seriously considered creating such a state.

"If they were serious about a United Irealnd they would not have denunded
the state of its minority population. There has been a most systematic
evolution of the idea of ethnic cleansing since the state was formed.

"In the first Irish Government there were 14 Protestant deputies and cabinet
ministers - today there is just one Portestant deputy in the Dail Eireann.

"In 1922 there were 317,000 members of the Church of Ireland - today there
are just 60,000. The turning point for many Protestants was De Valera's 1937
constitution which had a preamble written by a Jesuit which stated it would
ensure all laws passed by the Oireachtas would be in accord with Catholic
social teaching.

"As Protestants began to understand that what had been created was a
Catholic state for a catholic people they began to leave. Effectively it was
a case of No Protestants need apply!"

As Minister for Health in the 1948 Coalition Government Dr Browne fell foul
of the Irish Catholic hierarchy and he found it difficult to obtain work,
eventually he had to settle for a job as a house doctor in a mental
institute.

Concluding Dr Browne said: "I have had difficult times because of my
principled stance but I have no regrets, I did what was right."

Dr Browne is not the only person to have fallen foul of the Irish
Government. In Letterkenny (just 20 minutes drive from Londonderry) the
Patterson family had long been employers in the town at their meat
processing plant, supplying hotels, reataurants and small shops with
prepacked cooked meats.

In the Spring of 1971 shortages of cash, goods and materials led to Joe
Patterson asking questions of his ITGWU shop steward. The employee admitted
responsibility, but said he did not know 'what had happened to the missing
goods'. In light of the theft of money and goods Joe Patterson sacked the
employee only to find his Roman Catholic employees walked out in strike.
After one week the strike was settled but the ITGWU members still had to be
paid for the time they were on strike.

Trying to return to normality was difficult. Due to the loss of buisness Joe
Patterson was forced to lay an employee off - but which one? Next day the
workforce were out on strike again. The Patterson's were going to seek a
court injucnction to stop further pickets being set up.

Howerver local Garda sergeant Tim Kelly persuaded the Patterson's and their
solicitor from doing so, making it very clear that local Republicans with
support of the IRA in Derry could stir up anti Protestant feelings, and
there were sure to be riotings and burings. The injunction application was
withdrew.

The strike was to last eight weeks, however, 10 days into the strike Joe
Patterson received a bomb threat in the post from the IRA. Harrassement and
anonymous phone calls were the order of the day - these were reported to the
Garda, but no action was taken.

In desperation Joe Patterson arranged to meet the senior IRA man in town -
they were no strangers. They had known each other all their lives. The
leader told Joe Patterson that the sacked workers came to him and asked him
to pressure Patterson into taking them back, the IRA leader refused. They
then went to Londonderry where they met with Martin McGuinness a well known
IRA figure who they asked to 'come and get Patterson.'

As a result of this Martin McGuinness visited Letterkenny to find out what
was going on. He was made aware of the situation. McGuinness had previously
known Patterson as McGuinness worked in an abbatoir.

The situation only got worse for the Pattersons who opened their business in
Leterkenny duirng the mid 18th century. On June 2, 1973 the Pattersons
closed shop for the last time, forced out of business by a Roman Catholic
Trade Union, forced to close with threats of violence from Roman Catholic
IRA supporters. The Pattersons took their case to the Irish Courts, but none
would listen. Simply because the Pattersons were Protestants. They were told
there was no case to answer to and when they did eventually get to court
their solicitor/barrister refused to represent them.

In desperation the Patterson's wrote to the Irish Minister Irish Prime
Minister Liam Cosgrove who promised a full investigation - the Patterson's
are still waiting for a reply.

The Patterson family moved into Northern Ireland and Joe Patterson moved to
Canada in October 1974 in search of a better life. A life free from
harrassement, A life where they can choose to live as they wish.

Each day at least 150 people leave the Republic of Irelnd seeking a better
future elsewhere. Many travel to other part of the UK, while others travel
ot USA, Canada or Australia - most never return!

So much for the Celtic Tiger.
"Quote unquote"

"Ireland is a Catholic country, perhaps the only one left and laws are not
to change to make it any less so. I am well aware of the tragic situation in
Northern Ireland but this does not warrant changing any laws." Pope John
Paul II speaking to Irish Primeminister Dr Garret Fitzgerald April 1977.

"Is it any wonder that the Protestant people of the North would feel
intimidated in a United Ireland?" Joe Patterson Jnr.