As our service to the nation last night myself and Alexia attended a public meeting of Cóir in the Skylon Hotel.
The last time I had anything to do with Cóir’s bedfellows – sorry I mean landlords – was when Youth Defence spent St. Patricks Day assaulting myself and other participants in the National Lesbian and Gay Federations St. Patrick’s Day Parade entry in 1995. Eggs and rotten fruit were their chosen weapons.
Given this and my observation of the Cóir operation from afar I’m sure I had better things to be doing with a Monday night but I did want to see what they would say on their own turf. Also from a online point of view it was good to use twitter and video etc. to let those at home find out what is happening. (More of that later in the week by the way.)
In attendance were about 60 members of the public/Youth Defence activists. Several of whom had been recruited by a letter posted to them due to their activism and interest in pro-life issues. I saw one of the letters before the meeting started shown to me by one of the attendees who was having the pre-meeting cigarette.
The audience was mainly male and over 40. Before the meeting started I overheard some people talking about their disappointment in the hierarchy at their lack of leadership and being too liberal. We had gatecrashers and a bit of storming out too during the event! The aim of the meeting was to inform and also organise with a heavy hint at recruitment for door to door canvassing.
There is a lot of money being spent on backdrops and leaflets. I’ve yet to read the literature placed on my chair but we were given sheets of blank Cóir letterhead which I’ll find a use for I’m sure. Cóir spend a lot of time saying that their meetings are packed – well if they pick small hotel rooms this would not be difficult.
The meeting was chaired by a member of Cóir, Scott Schittl, who is American naturalised Irish Citizen and from a bit of Internet rooting I note is a Latin Mass activist.
The speakers were the main spokesperson Richard Greene, Cóir spokesperson and ‘legal expert’ (A diploma from Kings Inns makes it so seemingly) Brian T. Hickey, and a representative from the Irish Fisherman’s Organisation in Waterford, Cathleen Ni hAod ?. There was a bonus speaker who I don’t think the organisers knew what to do with or were very comfortable with politically – someone from head office obviously sent him along – Jens Pieter Bonda is back in town. The former Danish MEP who appeared on Irish TV a lot during Lisbon I, is back for press conferences and interviews and the like – you have been warned.
You can watch many of the speeches on Alexia’s blog – they went out live on Qik, and the organisers objected to this when the meeting was nearly over. This was more than a bit strange given that they were recording the meeting for their own purposes. (Update: Alexia has now also uploaded the audio from the questions and answers session.)
Richard Greene says that the Broadcasting Complaints Commission have lost Cóir’s complaint about RTE’s lack of coverage of their campaign since June 13th.
In summary from the audience, terrible speeches and lack of focussed message and the range of well, types of local eejit that were in the room (one man was using all the take away menus he received as a example of why Ireland’s sovereignty is being threatened) I would say Cóir couldn’t organise a piss up in a brewery. But then you look outside the hotel with the posters and the messages which have dominated the airwaves on day one of the Lisbon II campaign and the confusion and lies that are in operation. Only 32 days to go.
Scott Schittl was Coir’s campaign director last year, and was involved in Kathy Sinnott’s campaign this year.
Welcome to Berlin 1933…between this lot, and two racists behind me in the dole office queue today, we have a full house of nutjobs and racists.
Two twenty year old gits – who certainly wouldn’t have voted in 1990 – were moaning about all the blacks with their prams who were taking all the jobs. They theorised that it was Mary Robinson’s fault for all the immigrants who have come and “took ir jobs” (pronounce that like in that Southpark ep)… they “theorised” that when Robinson invited people to ‘come dance with me in Ireland’, they all came and signed on… breath-taking analysis… would have never joined the dots on my own!
Coir argues that sovereignty is been threatened? By the EU it is not, but it definitely is by the Soldiers of Density and Nama-man who would happily ask the IMF to deal with the pile of pooh.
If Coir are so interested in the fortunes of Ireland, where was it during the boom when the surpluses were being frittered away, because it is the sudden-ness and ferocity of the economic crisis that has turned people off Europe and turned them onto racism. In the absence of leadership, Coir and such do find an audience.
BTW: did ya see Twenty’s blog piece about finding a survival guide on the 1983 recession… priceless… plus ca change!
Perhaps you have done a dis-service to the nation by going to the public meeting. What was your intention? It’s funny how people are blind to their own arrogance.
You already knew what Cóir stood for, you know they are Catholic, you know they are opposed to the gay agenda. You didn’t bother to read the literature, so really you went to see could you get a ‘scoop’ to tell-tale back to the Irish ‘mammy’. Only mature, sincere people can meet even if they disagree on fundamentally different things. They can agree to disagree but be respectful to the beliefs of others. Grow suas!
Curious though, that groups like YD, Coir etc, have been so involved in nominating and backing candidates like Dana and Sinnot to the European Parliment in the first place? That doesn’t even start on gombeen nominations like Charlie McCreevy.
YD/Coir & their bedfellows have been highly instrumental in almost every anti-everything campaign for the last 16 years, but they’ve yet to come up with a single positive or constructive solution for any of the problems they’ve stuck their oar in on.
Therese what is the gay agenda?? Enlighten me? As an out lesbian for 17 years I’ve yet to be given a copy.
Your use of the term says it all never mind the patronising tone. My intention was not reporting the story but uncovering the story and nuances within and the unsaid and the untrue – something I’ll be coming back to in terms of the scare tactics and lies that Cóir are using in their playbook.
Therese displays huge naivete above.
Why does she believe that it is a sign of maturity to respect other people’s beliefs?
I can assure her, with as much maturity as I can muster, that I do NOT respect her narrow-minded, reactionary and delusional religious beliefs.
I can also assure her that, without having read the documentation myself, I could make a pretty good stab at describing her concerns for our country.
Therese also whinges about running home to tell “mammy”. It’s clear she’s more of a daddy’s girl.
@Therese:
how can going to a public meeting and reporting it on a blog be construed as a ‘dis-service’? And “gay agenda” … isn’t that a horse running in the 2.30 at Kempton?
A Dis-service is where someone supports Coir but uses “they” to describe them. If you support Coir, then have the gumption to use “I” and stop hiding in moral indignation to try and belittle people. Being “Catholic” is not synonymous with being anti-gay, anti-abortion, or organising intimidatory campaigns (as yoof defence has done in the past).
You want honest discourse about sexual politics? Start with disowning the politics of fear and intimidation, start speaking for yourself, start being upfront about where your (conservative) politics lie, we will always listen and debate with you, but don’t expect us to entirely agree with you.
“Before the meeting started I overheard some people talking about their disappointment in the hierarchy at their lack of leadership and being too liberal”
That’s pretty much standard practice for meetings like this.
its the media nad yes side giving coir their place, rather then coir being able to take it
Lisbon and religion « 53 degrees // Sep 4, 2009 at 14:48
[...] If demands on these issues could be met, it would whip the rug out from under the support for Cóir and other such orthodox Catholic groups. We could comfortably call ourselves European Christian [...]
The Lisbon Treaty: Part Deux | gaelick // Sep 5, 2009 at 10:11
[...] is running an excellent series of articles on some of the groups you’ve never heard of (and some you have). Also worth casting your eye over might be Slugger O’Toole, IrishElection, Jason [...]
why all the attacks on Therese? she never identified herself as a member of Coir, and possibly isn’t. Is it necessary to be a member of a group to defend it. Coir represents a lot of the things I hate about Ireland – and I wouldn’t set foot within a mile of one of their meetings.
election.ie » Blog Archive » On that Sunday Times piece, video cameras and democracy // Sep 6, 2009 at 12:47
[...] we’ve blogged and Twittered, Suzy and I attended the Cóir launch. I filmed with Qik, Suzy Twittered. At no time did we conceal our [...]
Just wondering but since Cóir and its precursor organisations have been proclaiming the imminent arrival of abortion in Ireland pretty much since we joined the EEC back in 1973. Ah 1973 when Taytos were still 3p, anyway how come we’ve not had abortion on demand introduced after each of the treaties?
> Ah 1973 when Taytos were still 3p
wat ?!?! if memory serves 1p was the price
Defaulting on debts incurred by banks, For Dummies:
https://secure.wikileaks.org/wiki/Iceland_says_NO_to_Debt-Slavery
Dont Mention The Lobbyists (Democracy 2.0 : **improooved**!!)
https://secure.wikileaks.org/wiki/EU_officials_warned_to_be_careful_about_email_content
All the low down on the COIR low life at http://ganleydeclan.blogspot.com/2009/09/seen-posters-about-minimum-wage.html
Or join in the fray at
http://www.politics.ie/lisbon-treaty/104561-nazi-lovers-queer-bashers-charming-face-coir-2.html