There is much to be jolly about this Christmas
President Michael D. Higgins pictured with the Ambassador of the State of Palestine, H.E. Jilan Abdaljamid, at Áras an Uachtaráin last week. Picture: Colin Keegan/Collins Dublin
‘Tis the season to be jolly and we have much to be jolly about. There’s a lot of sadness and badness in the world but Santa has his bag full and will soon be on his way bringing delight, surprises and happiness to all and sundry. It is in the nature of things that some will get more than others but small things mean a lot to those who have little while those who have much may fail to fully appreciate what they have while they go in pursuit of more.
All over the country, there are angels of different shapes, sizes, hues and genders singing carols at shopping centres and entertaining the willing public with wonderful versions of , , , , and among many others. Being a long-time crow, I’m not in a position to judge but whatever about the standard of singing there is no doubting the enthusiasm of the carollers and their determination to bring joy to the world of shoppers and revellers. Good wishes go to their parents and teachers. They are a credit.
Joy may be on the way to the besieged citizens of Gaza. There appears to be movement towards a truce that will see an end to the bombardment that has reduced Gaza to rubble, which will see hostages on both sides released and hopefully by Christmas will see reason prevail. What a joyous gift to the world. I can order my new Palestinian flag. US President Joe Biden has not exactly covered himself in glory in his efforts on Gaza, but he will earn some personal redemption if he can manage, on this occasion, to get a truce over the line. What a Christmas gift that would be especially to the children of Gaza as well as to the families of the hostages held by Hamas.
Santa came early for County Wexford TD Verona Murphy. She got a nice little number on the return of deputies to Leinster House and she made her own bit of history by becoming the first female holder of the office of Ceann Comhairle. She had to fight off a number of other contenders (no surprise when you consider the remuneration is even more than what the Taoiseach gets) for the job.
She is an able woman and independent. She comes with a credible CV, having made a name for herself outside of politics as a successful businesswoman in the cut-throat world of road haulage. She was schooled in the University of Life and only took her Leaving Cert when in her late 30s. She is abrasive and will be tested by those who will challenge her past utterances on immigrants. There are, unfortunately, no immigrants in the Dáil nor are there any people of colour. That won’t stop critics from hurtling scuds in her direction. But, for now, Ms Murphy’s joy is unconfined.
Joy be with the women of Ireland. While the men greatly outnumber the women in the Dáil and while women continue to be abused and murdered by men (usually their partners) there have been a number of instances in 2024 where women struck back. Nikita Hand took her life in both hands when confronting Conor McGregor in a civil case before a judge and jury in the High Court. She won and was awarded €250,000, a figure that will not go anywhere near paying the legal eagles on both sides if she is faced with paying her legal fees.
Ms Hand may end up with nothing financially, but her court victory, earned at huge expense to her emotional wellbeing, showed that rape has consequences for the perpetrator and women who have experienced abuse at the hands of men can be more confident that abusers will be held to account. No more than Ms Hand, in France, Gisele Pelicot, who was raped and drugged by her ex-husband and who bizarrely facilitated more than 50 random men in acts of rape and abuse against her, had the satisfaction of seeing her abusers sentenced to lengthy prison terms. She too struck a blow for women. Joy to the women.
We are blessed in our Uachtaráin. He does not shy away from difficult issues and he hit the nail on the head when he challenged the warmongers in Israel who wish the world to agree with them that any reference to war crimes is anti-Semitism. We Irish have suddenly become anti-Semitic according to the state of Israel. Having withdrawn their ambassador (small loss!) they are now about to shut down their embassy, branding, by extension, the Irish people as antisemitic. They have not yet attributed a share of the Holocaust to the Irish but, don’t be surprised when they do. Sadly, the Jewish community in Ireland, or at least their spokespeople, agree with the position of the Israeli government.
Both the Taoiseach and Tánaiste were clear in their rejection of the anti-Semitic charge by Israel’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, a fellow by the name of Gideon Saar. But, as politicians, they were way too diplomatic, in the face of a giant slur, not just against the Taoiseach and Tánaiste, but against the people of Ireland. Not so Michael D. He calls a spade a spade. He roundly rejected the antisemitism charge as a deep slander and defamation of the Irish people and defended both the Taoiseach and Tánaiste. Good man Michael D. No doubt the usual apologists here will find a reason to castigate the Uachtaráin for interfering in matters of politics and suggest he should keep his nose out of political matters. Keep up the good work, Mr President, and may peace and joy attend you in the Áras.
In this time of peace and goodwill, it is appropriate to send good wishes to Enoch Burke who must be close on 500 days in jail this Christmas. This family of Castlebar Burkes are contrary and litigious people but they are also a very principled people. I don’t go along with their Christian religious beliefs but I don’t and can’t deny their right to believe. There clearly is no Solomon sitting in the Irish Courts or someone would have come up with some solution to the seemingly insoluble conundrum that is the continuing incarceration of Enoch Burke- now joined in jail by his father.
If Enoch Burke, as a prisoner of conscience, was confined in Assad’s Saydnaya prison for the disappeared or indeed in one of Putin’s Siberian gulags you would have Micheál Martin, as Minister for Foreign Affairs, thumping the table (wouldn’t an angry Micheál be a joy to behold!) and demanding his release. You would have Amnesty International jumping up and down decrying the injustice of Burke’s jailing. You would have half the liberals of this country demanding his release while the other half would wring their hands in despair. But, because he is Irish and is a Christian (of some denomination!) and he awkwardly sticks to his convictions he is regarded as an embarrassment not as a cause célébre.
Joe Biden is currently under pressure to sign an amnesty that would save convicted murderers on death row from the electric chair and would also see the release of lesser criminal types to ease the pressure on the American prison system. Perhaps our Minister for Justice could consider a Christmas (Christian even!) Amnesty here for prisoners of conscience and repentant petty criminals who could bring joy and Santa to children and partners around the country.
Delete the negative, accentuate the positive and fill your day with joy.
