Copyright newsletter
How, I wonder, are the top brass of the Ministry of Defence feeling about the new boss, Catherine Connolly? After 14 years, Michael D Higgins will vacate the office at midnight on November 10. The inauguration process the following morning — which entirely coincidentally is Remembrance Day — will be expected to begin with his replacement arriving at Dublin Castle in a motorcade starring a 1947 Rolls-Royce Silver Wraith. There will be an interfaith blessing, a brief fanfare, the raising of the presidential standard, and a 21-gun salute, after which Connolly will recite the Declaration of Office “in the presence of Almighty God” and promise to maintain the constitution and uphold its laws. The militaristic aspects of the ceremony won't be easy for a committed pacifist who is far more extreme than President Higgins. She has called in Dail debates for the abolition of the Irish army because "armies fight wars" and contradict neutrality, and describes military forces as tools of a "war-mongering military industrial complex". But reality and frightening threats from Russian subversion and aggression have caused the Irish government to increase its expenditure on ships, radar, cyber defence and other urgent national security resources. Angry neighbours have raised their voices. Donald Trump is interested in Ireland not only because of his prestigious golf resort in County Clare, but also because of its vulnerability. As we've all come to realise, he is much much more alert to, and well informed about, what's going on all over the world that we ever thought. He will be hearing the voices that believe Ireland is a mean and lazy parasite. Memorably, last January, the former Estonian president, Toomas Hendrik Ilves, blew a gasket when President Higgins denounced NATO's push for higher defence spending as "appalling" and detrimental to social services. Ireland relied on NATO allies for defence while lecturing them on priorities, Ilves pointed out. “Do these people,” he asked, “have any sense of self-awareness, their privileged geography or the appropriateness of even commenting as the beneficiary of implicit NATO security?" Accusations of freeloading, hypocrisy, hubris and the undermining of European collective security have stung, but the modest increase in defence spending still keeps Ireland regarded as the most irresponsible country on the continent. Memorably described by Máría Cahill as having “the air of a nun who has joined the convent but refuses to wear the habit”, it’ll be fascinating to see how Connolly deals with the fact that burbling about peace no longer cuts the mustard. Apart from anything else, as Europe increasingly fears radical Islam, the rank anti-Semitism and pro-Palestinian rhetoric of the Irish left, which provided the money and supporters to bring her to power, seems ever more gross. Enthusiasts for our new president include Kneecap and Jeremy Corbyn. One of Connolly’s erstwhile besties, anti-imperialist but pro-Iranian and pro-Russian ex-MEP Mick Wallace, for laughs shared an AI-generated clip on social media showing Connolly donning a Kneecap-inspired tricolour balaclava along with a Palestinian keffiyeh, while holding up an AK47 and roaring: “Uachtarán.” (president) That’ll go down well in Washington. l Ruth Dudley Edwards is the author of ‘The Faithful Tribe: an intimate portrait of the loyal institutions’ and 'Aftermath: The Omagh Bombing and the Families’ Pursuit of Justice’
