For the Unity of Protestant, Catholic and Dissenter - WP Bodenstown 2007

by Jacqueline Fallon Fri Jun 29, 2007 01:11

In my opinion, I believe Mr. Theobald Wolfe Tone (not unlike some disgruntled people in Sallins) would be very displeased at the fact that there are several different troops of republicans and Ununited Irishmen/women marching up and down to his grave every weekend in June. I think he would prefer to see one large Republican grouping of United Irishmen/women, but, alas, it's not to be, and we must be divided and sniping at each other. It is a very sad fact, indeed, that we have several different republican groupings today - some more republican than others.

I don't believe Wolfe Tone was religious, I don't think he cared much for it, it's not really accurate to call him a Protestant - he certainly wasn't a practising one. I believe he was a man who believed in equality and justice for all, but religion, I don't think he gave a shite about it - he probably found as I have done, that it was more trouble than it was worth.

Personally, I can't relate at all to Theobald Wolfe Tone, simply because he was a member of the 'protestant ascendancy class', and I don't care for that class (not the religion, but the class), being from a long line of peasant farmers myself. I also can't stand the Orange Order and would prefer if the Irish flag were just green, as I don't find anything acceptable or respectable about the Orange Order, no more than I find anything acceptable about the KKK. I can't overcome this prejudice (I think it is hereditary), and despite all Mr. Tone's valient efforts and good works to bring about a politically independent united Ireland, I can't bring myself to visit his grave, simply because I can't relate to him. I prefer to honour the peasants instead who I can relate to, and those who suffered at the hands of the landlord class, and those relatives of mine who died in famine times while the 'protestant ascendancy class' looked on, and those brave women and men whose graves are never visited and God only knows how much they suffered.

by Sharon. - Individual. Thu Jun 28, 2007 23:38

Hi belch !

There is no dispute that Tone suffered a fatal neck wound but there is a difference of opinion regarding how same was inflicted -
http://1169andcounting.blogspot.com/2005_03_06_archive.html
(....the article re same starts on Wednesday 9 March in the above link.)

Sharon.

by belch Thu Jun 28, 2007 19:46

He was a suicide - 8th circle of dante's Hell. Of course God the merciful just might have given him the benefit of the doubt for never wearing a condom or felching & right now he's sitting next to mother teresa and martin luther. what is really a pity is that so many people in modern day Ireland on a local node of a global site such as indymedia still bleat and whine on a daily basis about the very secular values which are central to both anarchism and republicanism & describe them as being "anti-catholic" or "anti-christian". As an author of many of those comments & being the unusual exceptional one of the very few who are theologically well-informed in maintaining a consistent secular position I object to being termed either "anti-catholic" or "anti-christian". I'm neither. I write and talk happily of spiritual matters & have done on this site - but no longer feel it is appropriate. The internet is a big place - google for an Irish portal with no global links to anarchism & the respect you crave for your prejudices which throughout Europe are alligned with the far right and forces of repression.

+
now let's all close our eyes & say a wee prayer for Wolfe Tone's immortal soul instead of the year in year out dumping praise which is hammering him further into the ice of the 8th circle (if you believe in that) & if you don't - then why the fuck do you bother going to Bodenstown?

by Robert R Thu Jun 28, 2007 18:55

Wolfe Tone died for the freedom of all religous beliefs. What a pity it is that Christian beliefs, and especially Catholicism, are so often a victim of religous hatred and bigotry on indymedia.

by Paul - WP member Tue Jun 26, 2007 12:13

The Workers' Party assembles at Bodenstown Cross and marches the short distance from there to the cemetery. Traffic disruption is at a minimum and at most takes about 3 minutes for the few hundred people to clear the road. There is clearly an orchestrated campaign from some elements against all parties and groups holding commemorations at Wolfe Tone's grave, probably the same elements who want to bulldoze and concrete over the Hill of Tara.

by Sallins Man Tue Jun 26, 2007 11:56

At the minute, there is a Wolfe Tone commemoration on every Sunday in June.

Eventually, there will be a parade and commemoration on every Sunday in the summer, and then we will get to a point where every single Sunday will see a commeration in Bodenstown.

Then Saturdays, then other days of the week (maybe in the evenings to start).

Eventually we will get to the stage where there will be a commemoration in Bodenstown every day of the year.

Then we'll move on to other towns in Kildare...