Revealed! Spoof British Legion letter on Feighan poppy
Paul Healy
Roscommon TD Frank Feighan’s much-publicised decision to wear a Poppy in the Dail last week – the first TD to wear a Poppy in ‘The House’ in twenty years – had an interesting sequel.
In the middle of last week there were reports that EVERY member of the Oireachtas had received correspondence on the Feighan issue from no less distinguished a body than….The Royal British Legion.
Intrigued, this column spoke to a number of Oireachtas members, all of whom confirmed receipt of the correspondence.
Of course we
…
Revealed! Spoof British Legion letter on Feighan poppy
Paul Healy
Roscommon TD Frank Feighan’s much-publicised decision to wear a Poppy in the Dail last week – the first TD to wear a Poppy in ‘The House’ in twenty years – had an interesting sequel.
In the middle of last week there were reports that EVERY member of the Oireachtas had received correspondence on the Feighan issue from no less distinguished a body than….The Royal British Legion.
Intrigued, this column spoke to a number of Oireachtas members, all of whom confirmed receipt of the correspondence.
Of course we got our hands on the letter, and, greatly intrigued by the language used (see alongside), we rang the Royal British Legion on Wednesday.
The lady we spoke to said that last week had obviously been the busiest week of the year for the British Legion but she had heard a whisper about this alleged correspondence being sent to every TD and Senator in Ireland.
Tellingly, she had also seen a tweet casting doubts on the veracity of the letter.
We asked would she oblige by investigating the matter for us and, lo and behold, later on Wednesday we received a statement from Bethan Herbert, Public Relations Officer for the Royal British Legion.
It read: “I can confirm that this is a spoof and not issued by The Royal British Legion.”
So….er….that’s it. The column is glad to have been of assistance.
Subject: British Legion commends member of parliament in Eire for wearing the poppy
Rt. Honourable Member of the parliament of Eire
We in the Royal British Legion wish to commend your fellow member of the parliament Frank Fieghan MP for agreeing to wear the poppy in remembrance of all those who fought for the British armed forces from World War I up until the present day.
Those thousands of Irish who fought for the freedom of small nations in the Great War and for the preservation of the empire have a special place in British Military history. We understand the sensitivity surrounding the poppys rembrance of not only those Irish who fought for the Crown but also those British soldiers who were murdered in Eire in the aftermath of the Great War during what you refer to as the ‘War of Independence’.
The Royal British Legion understand the complex history of the relationships on the British Isles and believe that this small gesture by the Rt. Honourable member will assist in the healing process.
Royal British Legion
199 Borough High Street
London SE1 1AA
Legionline: For all general enquiries please contact Legionline on 08457 725 725. Open 9am – 4pm Monday to Friday, all calls charged at local rates.
Doherty commends Fr. Morris call on pensions
Fianna Fail Cllr. Rachel Doherty has rowed in behind Fr. Donal Morris who gained national media attention this week for his condemnation of the pay and pensions of some politicians. “The comments made this week by Fr Donal Morris in Boyle on the hypocrisy and unfairness of politicians who enjoy favourable standards while calling on others to cut their cloth are timely.”
Cllr. Doherty was critical of “the empty and pathetic statements made by the Government on pensions to bankers”. She said that at a time when vulnerable people have had their limited home help services reduced and proposals are on hand to cut child benefit and family supplements by 40 per week it is truly shocking that the government has sanctioned the appointment of another executive at IBRC on a salary 500,000.
Cllr. Doherty called on Fianna Fail to immediately seek independent legal advice to see how legislation can be used to cap salaries and pensions to retired and current senior bankers and to examine the discontinuation of increments and allowances to highly-paid public servants.
Rural Ireland fights back!
Delegates from many parts of Ireland will assemble in Athlone next Sunday to “discuss the crisis facing rural Ireland”. The meeting is will take place at the Shamrock Lodge Hotel, Athlone, on Sunday 18th November at 1 pm.
The meeting is being organised by ‘Glór na Tuaithe’ which spearheaded the campaign against septic tank charges and is now intent on broadening the campaign and linking up with likeminded people and groups around the country.
The following is the agenda: Septic tanks; Closure of schools, post offices, Garda stations and bank branches; Turfcutting; Household and Water Charges; Farming; Fishing; Fracking; proposed changes in Local Government; anti-rural bias in the Dublin media; Cutbacks in health; SACs; the siting of windmills and proposals for the development of ‘Glór na Tuaithe’.
‘Ming’ vocal on cannabis again
Roscommon/South Leitrim TD Luke ‘Ming’ Flanagan first became famous nationally because of his desire to see cannabis legalised here. These days, ‘Ming’ is vocal on many issues and indeed has faced accusations that he has left his cannabis-campaigning days behind him, a charge he would reject.
Deputy Flanagan has said he has ceased using cannabis while in Ireland in order to project his family from potential ‘Garda interest.’ Now, following developments in the USA, Deputy Flanagan says the time cannot be far off when cannabis is legalised in Ireland – and everywhere else too.
Deputy Flanagan said: “Two US states, Colorado and Washington, have made an enormous breakthrough in cannabis legislation. On Tuesday, November 7, 2012, the 53% to 47% vote in Colorado for the amendment number 64 was a victory. Now the selling of cannabis and industrial hemp is allowed and treated like the sale of alcohol – for persons 21 and above.
“Washington followed this very close behind and both allow for an individual to obtain an ounce of cannabis on their person for recreational purposes. The decriminalisation of cannabis allows for better regulation of the product and for a sales tax to be placed on the product which as a result gives these two states the best cannabis laws in the world. The tax enforced, once it has reached $40 million, is given right back to the community to support the construction of public schools.
“By decriminalising cannabis in Ireland it would allow for better regulations on the drug to be made and for a tax to be set to better help the economy and the communities. The time cannot be far off when cannabis will be legalised in all countries.” – PH
Roscommon People
Issue: 16th November 2012
Read more http://roscommonpeople.ie/itemdetail.asp?itemID=20530
