Keep Politics and Irish Culture apart.
I got an invite recently from Comhaltas Dhoire to attend a meeting in Culturlann Derry to promote the city as host to Fleadh Cheoil Na hÉireann. While this would benefit the city culturally and economically I was amazed to read that Martin Magennis would be the guest speaker at the meeting and not the Minister for Culture. It’s a principle of mine that politics and culture be kept apart but in Culturlann culture and politics were being brought together. I am not alone in this principle of separation.
Douglas Hyde the founder of Conradh na Gaeilge insisted that culture and politics be kept apart. Despite this the Gaelic League was infiltrated by Republicans. In protest Douglas Hyde resigned as head of Conradh na Gaeilge and his place was taken by the Republican Eoin O Neill. In this way Irish culture became synonymous with Republicanism and so it remains. In keeping with the principle of Douglas Hyde I declined the invite from Comhaltas Dhoire giving my reasons for doing so.
Michael Gillespie Derry
