Jeff Peel's Diary

Michael D Higgins. In his final speech to the Dail argues that a real Republic has yet to be created in Ireland. Now he's the President of that Republic. Image via Wikipedia

As someone on the Libertarian wing of Conservatism I would take issue with much of Michael D Higgins’ sweeping assertions about the evils of individualism in this speech (see below).  But as Higgins is the new President-elect of Ireland, I thought readers may be interested in gaining an insight of the man’s world views – and perspectives on Irish nationalism and Republicanism.

The speech is a veritable tour de force – his final to the Dail.  He appears to have a few notes, but refers to them little.  But it’s a remarkable speech in that it is made to an almost empty chamber which, in a strange way, adds weight to the points he makes about the failure of the Republic and the failure of the political class in Ireland to create one.

Indeed, Higgins refers to three failures in Irish democracy: failure in terms of participative government, failure in terms of adminstrative inclusion and abject failure in terms of communications between and across all strata of society.  And while he falters a little at the start of his speech, he soon gets into his stride.  If you thought Michael D Higgins was a gentle old poet, if you listen to this speech you’ll get a good idea about the extent of his socialist radicalism.

However, I forgive him for this partly because his passion is deep-rooted in his background and his genuine concern for social inclusion.  The central premise of his speech is that while Egalitarianism and Nationalism were at the core of radical Republicanism in 1916, Nationalism became predominant – squeezing out any real Socialist notions that the emerging Free State had.

He also discusses the anti-Intellectual basis of the state – a point that resonates here in Northern Ireland.  Even Sinn Fein, that used to claim to have some type of Marxist agenda, now plots, schemes and and strategises in its lust for power over any real ideological basis to its ambitions.