I walked across Dean’s Yard behind Westminster Abbey on a frosty and dark London Friday evening (November 23, 2007) with some anticipation to attend the annual “Longford Lecture” being delivered this year by the President of Ireland, Professor Mary McAleese, on the theme of “Changing History”. As I walked through the splendid surroundings I did have the evil thought that the Commissioners of the Church of England should be done for receiving stolen goods being the main beneficiaries of the abolition of the monasteries by Henry VIII and the confiscation of their property. In Ireland they were represented by the splendidly titled “Board of the First Fruits” to which Catholics had to pay a tithe on their harvest and burial fees. This did not make for happy natives but has endowed Ireland with many splendid, if underused churches!
Church House Westminster seen from Dean's Yard
Banishing such evil thoughts the walk gave me time to reflect on how much times have changed that an Irish President should be hosted in such splendid surroundings as the Assembly Hall of Church House and of the wonderful contribution of the Pakenham Family to Ireland and England. In Dublin they are commemorated in Longford and Aungier Streets and the former Pakenham Hall near Castlepollard in Co. Meath was renamed Tullynally (The Gaelic name) by Tom Pakenham (The current Lord Longford, although he does not use his titles) when he took it over in 1961. Tom Pakenham is himself an author and historian of note as are his sisters, Lady Antonia Fraser and Rachel Billington. Frank Pakenham (Longford) wrote in 1935 “Peace by Ordeal”, the definitive account of the Irish Treaty negotiations and his wife, Elizabeth Longford was also a noted writer and historian. His brother, Edward Longford was the founder and great supporter of the Gate Theatre in Dublin. Francis Aungier Pakenham died, aged 95, in 2001 and this is the sixth Longford Lecture where previous speakers have included Cherie Booth and Desmond Tutu.
Tullynally Hall
Frank Longford said often during his life that he would like his epitaph to be ‘the outcasts' outcast’. It summed up a long career as a politician, writer and campaigner on social and prison policy which was all about standing up for the unpopular, the unloved, the underdog and those on the margins of society. He was first a minister in Clement Attlee’s post Second World War Labour government, where as Deputy Foreign Secretary he played a pivotal role in the reconstruction of West Germany. From 1964 to 1968, he was a member of Harold Wilson’s Cabinet.
He started visiting prisoners in 1930 and continued until his death. He was assistant to Sir William Beveridge on his landmark report of 1942 which laid the basis for the Welfare State. In 1956 he founded New Bridge, one of the first organisations in Britain seeking to create links between prisoners and the community, and in 1963 chaired the committee on crime whose recommendations led to the establishment of the parole system. On leaving the government, he launched New Horizon, a charity for young people in need.
Though he remained sentimentally attached to Ireland, Longford broke every tradition of his Anglo-Irish ascendancy family. He was born into a military, Protestant, Conservative and Unionist clan, and educated at Eton and New College, Oxford. As an adult, he embraced the Roman Catholic Church and Irish nationalism. His failure to follow his soldier father, who was killed at Gallipoli when Longford was nine, remained an open wound. Longford's memory will live on, if not for the scale of his achievements then certainly because of his courage, tenacity and nobility in trying. He was a man of great intelligence and moral strength and the speakers and themes of the “Longford Lectures” reflect his life’s work.
Tonight’s speaker, Mary Patricia McAleese is the eighth, and current, President of Ireland. She is Ireland's second female president and the world's first woman president to succeed another. She was first elected president in 1997 and was re-elected, without contest, to another seven year term in 2004. Born in Belfast in Northern Ireland, prior to becoming president she was a barrister, journalist and academic.
She was born Mary Patricia Leneghan in Ardoyne, Belfast where she grew up. Her family was forced to leave the area by loyalists when the Troubles broke out. This is something in her life I can relate to as I had many friends from Ballysillan on the edge of the Ardoyne who during the “troubles” had to move outside Belfast to keep in touch as they were “mixed”, both catholic and protestant. She was educated at St. Dominic's High School, the Queen's University of Belfast (from which she graduated in 1973), and Trinity College in Dublin. She was called to the Northern Ireland Bar in 1974 and is today also a member of the Bar in the Republic of Ireland. In 1975 she was appointed Reid Professor of Criminal Law, Criminology and Penology in Trinity College, succeeding Mary Robinson (a succession that would repeat itself twenty years later, when McAleese assumed the presidency).
The introductions and the presentation of the Longford Prize to Prisoners Abroad were by the journalists Jon Snow and Peter Stanford, Lord Longford’s biographer. Ivan Fallon, MD of Independent News and Media, spoke to introduce the President as the evening is sponsored by the Independent Newspaper. I took particular satisfaction from this as I have always read and admired the Independent, even before it became an Irish owned newspaper. Also in the redoubtable Bob Fisk the Independent provides a platform for an outstanding journalist who in his dedication and integrity in writing truthfully about the Middle East and the effects of western policy reflects the lonely furrow ploughed in the past by Frank Pakenham.
The President was warmly welcomed by the large attendance, who spontaneously stood to greet her. She outlined how the whole of Ireland faces the "most exciting chapter" in its history following the establishment of a new power-sharing government in Belfast. As someone who grew up in Belfast at the height of the Troubles, she declared the "nightmare is over", with a spirit of reconciliation developing between former enemies. She delivered her upbeat vision of the opportunities ahead for Ireland and spoke of the inspiration she has drawn from Ian Paisley and Martin McGuinness taking office together in May as First Minister and deputy First Minister and described it as a "watershed in political developments on our island, a vital step forward in our journey of reconciliation".
The President warned that the Northern Ireland Executive still faces a huge task in eliminating the "embedded culture of sectarianism", but visible progress is under way. She added: "We are in fact right at the very start of the most exciting chapter ever in the history of the island of Ireland." She said the development has helped the country to "look the past in the face" and approach the future with fresh confidence. "For those of us who have grown up through the Troubles, the reduction in negativity and the growing generosity of spirit has been little short of miraculous."
Her address was interspersed with humour mentioning the historian’s assessment about the difference between our nations that “The Irish never forget and the English never remember.” She commented another academic who suggested that the current developments meant the end of Irish History with “we would be so lucky” and recalled the Russian Proverb “The way ahead is clear, it is the past which is in dispute.” She emphasised the positive and continuing changes in an Ireland which has moved on from its long tradition of emigration to embrace immigration with 12% of the population born outside Ireland and members of the Irish Diaspora returning. She also drew lessons from the life of Frank Longford, a man who wrote a book about “Humility” and sought the good in those who were marginalised.
It was a well balanced, thoughtful, personal and inspiring address which drew praise from Jon Snow who mentioned that Frank Longford would have taken particular delight in it being delivered in the Assembly Hall of the Church of England where such much intrigue has taken place. Afterwards there was a reception and an opportunity to meet the president. The company was exalted with the Pakenham Family, including Antonia Fraser and Nobel Laureate, Harold Pinter, Penal campaigners, Jon Snow, Peter Stanford, Ivan Fallon, Peter York and Mary Kenny and a large number of Irish people living in London. Looking around at this assemblage and the highly democratic way we were all brought together to commemorate Frank Longford’s life it occurred to me that this was a room full of people not motivated by greed or ego but by a desire to leave a mark to make the world a better and more humane place. I’m sure Frank Longford would have been pleased that vicariously he had brought such people together to continue his work.
Áras an Uachtaráin, Phoenix Park, Dublin
Some years ago a young journalist wrote to the then President of Ireland asking could she visit Áras an Uachtaráin (The President’s Official Residence) and “be received”. She explained she kept reading in the paper that “so and so” had gone to Áras an Uachtaráin and had “been received” by the President. She explained that she was curious about this, particularly as she had never been asked. The President wrote back and invited her and soon Maeve Binchy (for it was her) and her then partner (now husband) Gordon Snell were on their way to “be received”. Well I and all the other Irish exiles in the hall to hear our President were very proud to be there and one and all we felt we were received. Our President represented us well and stirred the company with a wonderful address, the atmosphere and spirit in the marvellous setting was tangible and wondrous. She left to a standing ovation and the regard and warmth shown to her mirrors the difference in perception of Ireland and Irish people in England over the past decade. Like Frank Longford, an English politician and an Irish patriot, she focussed us on two nations and peoples who have gone from emphasising difference to celebrating what we have in common and building a better future together whilst not ignoring what makes us special. In doing this she has helped us all to move to a better place.
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