Fortnight Publications Ltd.

Attendance or Non AttendanceAuthor(s): Calvin MacneeSource: Fortnight, No. 155 (Oct. 14 - 27, 1977), p. 2Published by: Fortnight Publications Ltd.Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/25546410 .

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2/Fortnight

Calvin Macnee ^s V

ATTENDANCE OR NON ATTENDANCE

It seems there is harcly a public event occurs in this benighted land which does not provoke some dissension. I'm

thinking now of SDLP Councillor

Crilly's j.ttack on Cnagavon's mayor,

Sydney Cairns tor not attending the ordination of Monsignor O'Fiaich. Cairns did not seem quite sure why he had not attended: it was either because he was unwell or was

frightened of provoking pickets but in the light of the SDLP's refusal to attend the Jubilee celebrations Councillor Crilly would have been well advised to keep his mouth shut about

Craigavon Mayor's decision not to attend the Ordination. While Mayor Cairns is under fire for non attendance at Armagh, Dean Griffin of St Patrick's in Dublin is taking flak from a clerical colleague for violating the

^bbath by attending the All-Ireland rinal at Croke Park.

I suppose some people would regard it as a sign of tolerance when public

figures are free to attend any functions

they wish to attend but perhaps it

requires more tolerance to allow our

public figures to make their own

decisions about what they will or will not attend. I know, as representatives

in an official capacity they should be able to put personal feelings aside if

they are going to offend somebody no matter which way they jump, probably

the decision should be left to themselves.

SINS OF OMISSION The Social Democrat, the SDLP

monthly which has just come in, is well

produced of its kind. I would however have expected that it would have contained some references to Paddy

Devlin's expulsion from the Party. There's not a whisper of it as far as I can see. To ignore the episode must have required great restraint, but

hardly commendable restraint. There

may of course have been a concealed side swipe at the Devlin position in the

couple of features devoted to a critique of the "Independence" suggestions. As far as the SDLP leadership is con cerned it seems an independent Northern Ireland is not on which may leave the SDLP somewhat vulnerable in the light of the newly formed Irish

Independence Party's decisions to leave the issue open. I suppose in the fullness of time the editor will be

giving some consideration to the new

Nats but at first glance I am not

particularly impressed by the calibre of the line up behind Fergus McAteer and Frank McManus. One interesting name though associatged with the new

party brings us full circle. It is that of Councillor Markey of Newry.

Is he the same Councillor Markey who was recently agitating at the

Newry and Mourne Council meeting over the SDLP non-acceptance of Jubilee celebration invitations. Pecu liar to say the least.

THE WHITE EMANUELLE MEETS THE BLACK COUNCILLORS OF BELFAST

The dreadful farce of Emanuelle

keeps dragging on. Long after the

mm; seqi.Hs to this original have been shown in Belfast the City Fathers as they are laughingly called are still

quarrelling over the original. It would be tragic if it wasn't so funny. I

enjoyed the sight of the shaken Councillors staggering out from their

private viewing. It really sorted out the men from the boys; the ones who could take it on the chin with scarcely a quiver as against those reduced to an

even lower level of coherence than usual by the sight of so much sin and skin. For sheer frankness and honesty the palm must go to Councillor Muriel Pritchard who told BBC interviewers 'T am much more shocked by cruelty

and violence. That's what I would like to see". Living as she does in Belfast I

would have thought that could be

easily arranged.

GROWING LITERACY It has come as a shock to me to read

that according to a recent study by the Northern Ireland Council for Educa tion Research reading standards here have improved over the past five years. It is hard to know why this should be so. Undoubtedly the class sizes have been reduced in that time due to a

falling school enrolment and rising teacher population but I had always gathered from the educational gurus that class size had readily very little connection with attainment levels.

Perhaps all the graffiti to which our children have been exposed has contributed to the improvement. There is bound to be some increased

recognition of key words if you see them everywhere on the walls.

However judging by the evidence on the walls while there- may be

improvements in reading, the standards of punctuation and spelling could well be improved. I find it very offensive to see "Victory to the Provo's" written with an intrusive

apostrophe and I am even more

suspect by the inability to agree upon the correct spelling of Teague/Taig. If the schools were doing their proper job all school children would be taught to use its etymologically correct style

Tadgh which I am told is the Erse form of Timothy.

HSk^I^^^^IhOI^I

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