Usually speaking I don't have much time for Fine Gael but within its ranks there have been some outstanding individuals who have served with distinction both the interests of the Republic and the island as a whole.
Garret Fitzgerald is one of those individuals. His integrity and honesty came to the aid of the body politic when it was most needed. No flawed pedigree here.
His at times dithering ways and intellectualism were comforting against the background of Machiavellian and faux Haughey. It would be wrong though to define either Fianna Fail or Fine Gael on the merits or demerits of one leader or member. Fine Gael could hardly be described as a catch all party under some of its leaders or their actions. But Fitzgerald has been an exception.
At the weekend he wrote of the changes in attitude required by southern parties to the north and in particular to their relationships with northern nationalism.
He correctly assessed that politicians in the south have been less than committed to the north and that they will have to live with the growth and reach of Sinn Féin, especially within disadvantaged urban areas where almost 50% of all young males vote Sinn Féin.
He also spoke of the need for the south to put more of its money where its mouth is in terms of all Ireland's expenditure and planning. Of course, some liberal unionists believe the Irish national unity aspiration would disappear like snow off a ditch if southerners had to fork out more to get it. Their folly – one that Sinn Féin knows – is that no Irish nationalist should ever be given the option of voting on matters where the heart is in competition with the head. Just as in love – when it comes to Irish unity – the heart will always win out.
Of most interest was his view that the relationship with northern nationalism has to change. He implicitly accepts some substantial realignment arising from Sinn Féin's transformation into a fully functioning democratic party. A party it must be said who are in pole position to form any government in the north and who are knocking on the door of any potential coalition government in the south.
Dr Fitzgerald would no doubt wish things were different, after all his fingerprints were all over Sunningdale, the New Ireland Forum and the Anglo Irish Agreement.
The so-called nationalist consensus on the north and the acceptance of unity based on consent is by and large a Fitzgerald legacy to the Good Friday Agreement. Unfortunately the nationalist credentials of Fine Gael under John Bruton undermined the standing of Dr Fitzgerald and his gutsy foreign minister, Peter Barry.
Nationalism has changed dramatically, especially in the past 20 years. The civil and human rights deprived through 60 years of discriminatory unionist hegemony and rectified mainly through the tenacity of the SDLP leadership has forged a stronger, more confident, more assertive northern nationalist. These new northerners will not be made bow the head "as low as a Larne Catholic". Dr Fitzgerald recognises this change and like others knows that tolerance is not part of this new nationalist psyche. Politically speaking, lamenting this flaw won't make it go away.
The northern process shows that during the past 20 years the SDLP has acted like a political expeditionary force softening up the ground in nationalist heartlands for the Sinn Féin 'Panzers'.
When it came to defining nationalism for the 21st century northern Catholic – they left their flank exposed and Sinn Féin was in position to take advantage only too readily. In the south, as the disparity between the haves and have-nots got greater within the Celtic Tiger economy, the southern parties and in particular Labour and Fianna Fail have left another flank exposed. Again Sinn Féin is poised to exploit the gap. Dr Fitzgerald also sees this as a challenge to the southern parties. The SDLP mantra about not being able to eat flags is all well and good but if you are structurally and ideologically removed from constituencies where that message has not reached then it's a pretty irrelevant message to be preaching. Wishing things to be different is one thing but working for things to be different makes more sense. Complacency and arrogance nearly wrecked the SDLP and could provide the gap for Sinn Féin to sneak into government in the Republic.
In the week when RTE looks back with green tinted glasses at the record of CJ Haughey, one wonders if history is ever fair. Dr Fitzgerald proves that as long as you can find your voice you can still be heard.
