For some time now certain sections of Ireland’s right-wing media have been hyping up the idea of the country’s two main political parties, Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, entering into a coalition with each other or actually merging their respective organisations. Both are centre-right groupings wedded to a doctrinaire form of ultra-capitalism (with FG sitting further to the right than FF). Both have dominated Irish politics for decades and both are descended from the civil war split in the original revolutionary-era Sinn Féin movement.
To some a united FF/FG party makes perfect sense and this is highlighted once again by the over-excited reporting surrounding the speculation that former RTÉ presenter and well-known Fine Gael supporter Bill O’Herlihy will call for a political alliance between both parties at the upcoming Michael Collins oration at Béal na Blá (an annual Fine Gael event). Some would present this potential grand coalition as an act of “patriotism” or a coming together for the “common good of the Irish people” (healing old Civil War wounds, presenting a united governmental front to the world as Ireland labours under continued economic depression and mass emigration, putting people in power to “make the hard choices” over state and public services – choose your rhetoric). Of course it is nothing of the sort. In fact such posturing has more to do with worries in the Irish political, media and business establishments over the electoral rise of Sinn Féin and the various smaller left-wing parties and Independents of all political hues than a genuine wish to heal historical wounds, old or otherwise. Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael (and the politically promiscuous Labour Party) may still garner the support of some 65% of the electorate but the anti-establishment opposition is taking much of the remaining 35%. With FF and FG unlikely to have the numbers to form a single-party government after the next general election and Labour probably the victim of a ballot-box knifing there are few potential coalition options on offer for the two big cats of Irish politics if SF and others succeed in gaining the predicted numbers at the polls.
AN SIONNACH FIONN 
what could be better for European Unionism than a united front? ‘the republican party’ is devoid of differentiating factors that would see the blueshirts in any way different – cut from the same cloth!
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I think FF retains a bit of its old centre-left or social-democratic leanings but not enough to justify its continued existence after the corruption and ideological-straying of the last three decades and more. It’s worth remembering that at one time Labour used to bemoan the way FF could sweep up a certain working-class and middle-class Left-leaning vote by actually serving such constituents and their concerns. My own family background would be Left-wing urban and rural Fianna Fáil, too Republican for Irish Labour. In my childhood home Seán MacBride, Seán Lemass and the sons of Todd Andrews were gods (Haughey was viewed as a chancer).
The corner boys and small farmers… 😉
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I know but that’s history – something anglophone newstalk regular (and gaelophobe) diarmuid ferriter wouldn’t disagree! My own da was kicked off an Irish language group of fianna fáil after he defended a friend who was shafted by charlie haughey: history aside, the current issue of ff member magazine ‘coisle’ has no article in Irish (apart from bogus quarter page article ‘about’ the language) – which isn’t a recent phenomenon obviously — still, I’m very slowly convincing older members with the inherently anti-Republican and European Unionism of current ff leadership: jobs investment, six counties and language are only three policies held paramount among many ff members raised during the original depression – all squandered and failed by last EU administration on merrion stree between 1997 and 2011: best example is still euthanasia of sugar beet industry – nothing less than treason! @
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I’ve read little of Diarmaid Ferriter’s writing so I wasn’t aware of any antagonism towards Irish-speakers. How does it manifest itself?
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interesting question! any criticism of d.f. will doubtless be seen as begrudgery — perhaps it’s unfair but ask yourself a) is it really historiographically accurate to write a government funded biography of Éaman de Valéra without citing irish language biographies (Mac Aonghusa, 1982; Ó Néill/Ó Fiannachta, 1968); or b) is it balanced for d.f. as a publicly funded educator to openly criticise abolition of history as compulsory subject in junior cycle curriculum and silent on proposed abolition of irish in state secondary schools? — maybe this is all imaginary but seems like d.f. lets caitriona crowe of the national archives and tom garvin be more vocal — i don’t know — advocacy for one, indifference for the other!
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that should have been ‘cuisle’ (my mistake) – or maybe ‘cuisleoirí’ (dinneen, 1927) – more apposite! -:) — ta, @
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