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Black is the colour

... Sported on the lapels of those who’ll protest Irish collusion with the invasion of Iraq this Patrick’s Day.

Eamonn McCann, 09 Mar 2006

I’ll be wearing shamrock next weekend for the first time in more years than I hope you’d believe possible.

The last time I allowed the lapel of any of my exquisitely-cut suits to be ruffled and stained by a clump of pathriotic greenery was back in the days I wore exquisitely-cut suits. Or school uniforms, as us cool dudes called them.

Now I see people with every appearance of sanity through the year scampering in the streets on March 17, shouting ‘Bejaysus!’ and announcing they have a shilleleagh under their arum and a twinkle in their oye and sporting a verdant efflorescence such as would provide a decent habitat for a medium-sized species of marsupial. Truly amazing, the citizens who indulge this demeaning tomfoolery with no sign of saving embarrassment.

But this year I’ll be flaunting – and you are hereby invited to join in the flaunt – a Black Shamrock badge.

March 18 marks the third anniversary of the invasion of Iraq which detonated the horror still deepening by the day. The bright prospect advertised by supporters of the war has proven entirely illusory. The dire predictions of anti-war campaigners have been dismayingly vindicated. Not that this turn of events has cooled the ardour of the pro-war commentariat by a Fahrenheit fraction.

The point of the Black Shamrock is to commemorate all who have died in Iraq as a result of Irish collaboration with the US military machine.

There’s another Irish link to reinforce the relevance. Three years ago, final preparations for the assault on Iraq under way, US political and military chiefs availed of the hooley in the White House for rest and recreation. At one point, Secretary of State Colin Powell broke off conversation with a Northern Nationalist leader and briefly left the room to tie up some detail or other. Checking they’d packed enough phosphorous to burn the flesh off a salutary number of Fallujans, perhaps.

Irish leaders stood in line to listen as Bush appealed to them to forswear violence and embrace peace. A moment to render sarcasm, much less satire, redundant..



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Eamonn McCann

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