THE STATE VISITOR

personal flag of Elizabeth Windsor

As the Irish tourist season gets under way the ferry's and flights disgorge hordes of visitors, the Irish euphemism for tourists.  Very welcome they are too in this difficult economy as everything helps.  Amongst them this coming week will be a pleasant grey-haired lady named Elizabeth Windsor.  This is the name the family took in 1917 during the First World War (1914-1918) because their true family name was Saxe-Coburg-Gotha and the War was against their cousins and fellow Germans.  She will be a most gracious visitor, make all the right remarks and be somewhat overdressed on most occasions. For many years she has wanted to come and visit Ireland to see something of the country and meet the Irish people in their own land.  Seems fair enough does it not?  Well yes except you see this Elizabeth Windsor is the Queen of England and she is coming to Ireland on a three day State Visit not a CIE tour. Therein lies the problem.  This is not a Private Visit, as it could have been, but a State Visit which is formal recognition by Ireland of her status which is not applicable in The Republic of Ireland.

well I had to pay for this trip somehow

This State Visit is totally inappropriate and most likely illegal, England ruled Ireland with an iron fist for 800 years and if the Michael Collins movie is to be believed 20 minutes. Readers can research that one for themselves, it is one of those wonderful Irish street-folklore stories which could very well be true - particularly from Dublin.  It is inappropriate because of England Ruling Ireland for those 800 years and 20 minutes and the way they choose to do it.  Our Catholic religion, language, education and right-to-work were all brutally suppressed not to even mention An Gortha Mór.  My own grandmother and her eleven brothers and sisters had to go to school in Belgium and Germany due to the Penal Laws.  In England the Act of Settlement (1701) means to this day no Roman Catholic can sit on the throne of England.  The Queen herself is constitutional monarch of sixteen (16) sovereign states of the United Kingdom and Commonwealth.  Also she is the Supreme Governor of the Church of England, known as the Church of Ireland in Ireland, so as not to confuse it with the Catholic Church of Ireland.  These are not propaganda issues but real everyday facts of Anglo-Irish politics which have deeply effected my own Irish family.  It is an illegal visit under both Irish Constitutional Law where the understanding is no visits by United Kingdom monarchs to the Republic of Ireland.  International Law also disallows visits by former Colonial monarchs to non-commonwealth nations after their Independence. 




Teach na dTiarnaí

It should perhaps be pointed out that Ireland was not a colony but part of the British Isles  formed together with England, Scotland and Wales.  We had our own Viceroy and House of Lords, but not Commons, Dublin being considered the Second City of the British Empire  The Irish House of Lords, filled by those of the Anglo-Irish Ascendancy, was in the building later used by the Bank of Ireland across from Trinity College which with Oxford and Cambridge formed the premier three Universities of the British Empire.  Unfortunately The Charter of Trinity College stated that it was a purpose of the University to encourage students to follow the Religious Rule of the Church of England.  As a result this presented problems for Catholics to attend, though in fact many actually did.

Michael Collins

Her State Visit includes a trip to County Cork and a 'meet and greet' session, for NAUTICAL LOG this is one of the most insulting aspects of the entire State Visit for this is the County of birth of Michael Collins who was born at Sam's Cross, West Cork and who is the real achiever of Irish Independence.  


One would hope that the Irish people instead of wasting energy protesting this State Visit would totally ignore it.   No crowds in the streets, no persons at Croke Park, no protests,  just make the whole thing a non-event. 


Now one learns the Irish Government is copying the tactics of the RUC thugs and are in fact borrowing their equipment bringing in crowd suppression vans from British Northern Ireland for use by the Irish Garda Siochána - putting them in an unenviable position. 


If the Irish people completely ignore this visit it will make the Irish Government look completely foolish and highlight the ignorance displayed by them in organising this inappropriate and illegal State Visit by an English monarch to the non-Commonwealth Republic of Ireland.


To view the schedule of this State Visit go to www.dfa.ie/ then scroll down to 'Outline Media Programme' (PDF 251 kb)


Good Watch.

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