This week:

A look at those involved in the unity debate

SIMON Harris is new Taoiseach in the Republic of Ireland; Drew Harris is the Garda Commissioner and Chris Heaton-harris is the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland. I am surprised that Jamie ‘the sleuth’ Bryson has not yet unearthed a sinister interpretation of the increasing frequency with which this surname is popping up in the circles of ‘cross-border contamination’ of the Union of 1801.

Could Eoghan Harris, the veteran journalist and leading member of Sinn Féin in the 1960’s, possibly have been surreptitiously implementing his ‘stages theory of reunification’ for Ireland all these years without anyone catching on?

Wikipedia, the font of all online wisdom, would indicate that on the island of Ireland the name is largely but not wholly associated with the Ulster Plantation, and the translation to English of the nearest sounding Irish surnames, particular that of the O’hearchadh clan in Mayo.

I wouldn’t want to be adding to conspiracy theories but the name effectively means ‘Sons / descendants/ followers of Harry.

I’m open to blaming the USA influence on the lad. Maybe somebody should alert Chicken-licken to go and warn the King.

Apologies in advance for the upset this levity has undoubtedly caused those who feel obliged to be offended by it.

On a more serious and sombre note, Simon Harris is new Taoiseach in the Republic of Ireland and will lead Fine Gael into the forthcoming election.

The somewhat cruel comment from the would-be Taoiseach, Mary Lou Mcdonald was that he had “failed his way to the top”.

What it lacked in graciousness was balanced by accuracy. The new Taoiseach has been around some time but has few concrete successes to shout about.

There will certainly be no love lost between these two ambitious leaders either before or after the general election, regardless of which side of Dáil Eireann they each find themselves.

There is an Irish proverb which translates literally to English as

“breeding comes out through the eye of a cat”.

More colloquially, we say in English “breeding will out”.

In December 1922, the pro-treaty Government forces surprised eight anti-treaty men in a hideout.

There was no exchange of fire. They beat one of the men to death where they found him.

The other seven were arrested, detained in the Curragh camp and executed a week later.

The new government had instituted Martial Law, including the death penalty for anyone found in possession of weapons.

One of those executed was 24-year-old James Mcdonald.

He was a great-uncle of Mary Lou Mcdonald.

Simon Harris’ great-uncle was a local Fine Gael politician.

One of the new youngest