Labour Party Conference, 29th November 2008, Michael Farrell
Archive for category speech
By Michael Farrell
Paper to Desmond Greaves Summer School
30th August 2008
What I have to say will be only partly historical. The Civil Rights Commemoration Committee, with which I am involved, has from the beginning stressed that while it wished to mark the 40th anniversary of the Civil Rights movement in a dignified way, it also wanted to look forward and try to apply the lessons and ideals of the Civil Rights movement to contemporary problems and challenges. So I will be trying to do that today.
Coming to live in Northern Ireland in 1960 was for me a culture shock.
My first experience of democracy Northern Ireland style was when I went to vote. The choice was between abstentionist republican, labour and Ulster unionist. Seeing abstentionism as a wasted vote I had decided to vote labour. On presenting my voting card I was informed that I had already voted. I then noted that Antoin’s name beside mine was also crossed off although he had not voted at that stage. I was given a pink ballot paper. This would count in the event of a tie, I was told. All the polling officials were unionist and only the unionist party had agents present. In a state of frustration, anger and helplessness I voted for the republican! In those days, Westminster elections were left to abstentionist republicans and Stormont elections to the Nationalist Party.
