A British Monarch of All Ireland?

national | rights, freedoms and repression | opinion/analysis Thursday August 24, 2006 01:43 by Gurley Flynn

The British Monarchy is a basic cause of Irelands problem: abolishing the monarch would help end Ireland's British problem

A prominent member of Fine Gael has suggested a role for the British monarch as a means of making Ireland more acceptable to Unionists.

This type of foolishness surfaces periodically and usually takes the form of a proposal for Ireland to 'rejoin' the Commonwealth. Of course its debateable if Ireland was ever a member of this club.

But it is the silly season and Fine Gael can usually be relied upon for a laugh as the dog days of summer drag on.

Unlike the United States, there is no constitutional separation of Church and State in the United Kingdom.

The monarch is head of state and head of the established Church-the Church of England.

And only a Protestant can be head of State.

It is this which makes it legal to have two separate school systems in the 6 Counties: schools for Protestants and separate schools for Catholics. And both of them supported financially by the State.

Such State support for sectarian schools is unconstitutional in the U.S.

So in the north of Ireland it is instilled in each infant that he or she is of a separate religion and is different from the other grouping. From infancy difference is instilled.

Outlawing sectarian schools would certainly be a start in breaching politically sectarian divisions.

So abolishing the monarchy would be a step in the right direction; making the U.K. a republic (yes that's an oxymoron) may help end sectarian politics; extending the benefits of the Battenburg/Coburg/Windsor dysfunctional 'Royal' family to the 26 counties only appeals to West Brit Blueshirts types.

A republic is by itself no guarantee of separation of Church and State. Just look at the 26 county 'republic'.

Fine Gael is, as always, like a fifth tit on a cow: absolutely ridiculous and utterly ( udderly) superfluous. Why they haven't gone away is a mystery.