Finding common cause at the Irish Memorial

Israel’s bombardment of Gaza has brought demonstrators out around the world—including Ireland. In 16 locations throughout the island nation last Saturday, thousands took to the streets in angry protest, calling for an end to the bloody violence that has Palestinian civilians caught in the crossfire between Israel and Hamas.

The day after that, on a warm July afternoon in Philadelphia, a little over 20 local Irish and Irish-Americans, joined by about 10 Palestinian-Americans, carried their own protest to the Irish Memorial on Penn’s Landing.

They draped black and white Palestinian keffiyehs (traditional scarves) around the necks of the iconic figures of Irish immigrants descending from the boats that brought them to America. A few others tried to hang the Palestinian flag, but couldn’t find a spot that would hold it.

One of the organizers, Kevin Ward, wearing a green T-shirt emblazoned with a shamrock and the words “Made in Ireland” across the front, wanted to be sure potential critics knew what drew him to be there.

“The Irish are doing this because we can understand the struggle the Palestinians are going through. We’ve been oppressed ourselves by the British Empire. We can relate to where these people are coming from. We all know this is an uneven fight. This is not a war. They’ve already demolished 55 percent of Palestine in this attack right now—what’s left of it.”

As for the location—the Memorial—Ward thought it entirely appropriate, given that it stands in remembrance of the suffering the Irish endured under British oppression.

Organizer Aine Fox said the protest came together almost spontaneously. “We all just happened to cross paths at an Irish Center fundraiser. I was happy to see people who understand the context better than most Americans do. Just from a human perspective … this is just a small act of solidarity.”

For tourists and local dog-walkers passing by, the scene might have seemed like an unusual slice of American life. There were accents from the West Bank and Donegal; green Phillies caps and traditional hijabs (head scarves); Palestinian flags and the banner of the Kevin Barry Gaelic Football Club.

It was a kind of United Nations moment, Irish and Palestinians lined up in front of the memorial, holding hand-lettered cardboard protest signs—“Israel is a terrorist with a billion$ budget,” “End the Occupation Now,” and “Saor Gaza Anois” (“Free Gaza Now,” in the Irish language)—all chanting “Brick by brick, wall by wall, the Israeli apartheid has to fall.”

Some of the Palestinian protesters said they really weren’t surprised at Irish interest in their cause, given Ireland’s history with Britain.

“Palestinians are searching for the same thing,” said Jihad Abdeljaber, born in the United States of Palestinian parents. “This brings us together as one people for justice. We appreciate Ireland’s support, and the support of people around the world. It’s a crisis of humanity.”

The protest didn’t last long, but those who were there felt they’d made their point, and they hoped people would listen. For Brian McGarrity, Hamas doesn’t enter into the equation. It’s the suffering of the people. “The amount of casualties … its been more of a massacre than a war.”

Ward, standing nearby, concurred, saying Hamas is a terrorist organization. But at the same time, he suggested Israel’s response to Hamas missile attacks was disproportionate. “Let’s say England said tomorrow, we’re going to go get the IRA. So in order for us to destroy the IRA, we’re going to level the whole island. Let’s be sure we get them all.”

Fox, for her part, just wanted people to understand that the protest is about drawing attention to oppression by a foreign power. “I grew up in West Belfast,” she said, “and I understand that perfectly.”

Here are the photos

Departing Irish Vice Consul Peter Ryan.

The Irish government’s departing vice consul Peter Ryan said he once made a speech to a group of Penn State students at 3 AM at a Penn State frat party. It consisted of two words: “Diplomatic immunity.”

There was some confusion as to how he got to that frat party—Philly St. Patrick’s Day Parade Director, Michael Bradley, claimed that Ryan, whom he took to Penn State for a visit, asked to go. Ryan claimed Bradley just dragged him there.

That was generally the tenor of the evening—Thursday at the Union League—as representatives from all the major Irish organizations in the Philadelphia area, as well as two city councilman, met to say goodbye to Ryan, a popular figure in Philadelphia, who is leaving to become the Irish Ambassador to Hong Kong. They did a little roasting too.

The crowd of more than 100 people was also introduced to the new vice consul, Anna McGillicuddy, a Dublin native (with Kerry roots) whose previous posts were in London and Vienna. A mother of two young children, ages 3 and 10 months, McGillicuddy was an All-Ireland medal winner in Gaelic football—a fact not lost on the 20-some local representatives of Gaelic sports who attended the reception.

McGillicuddy says that the first thing her predecessor told her was that she had to come to Philadelphia—and it was one of the first things she did since she and her family arrived in the US a week or so ago. She and Ryan were feted at a reception at The Irish Center earlier in the day where, she said, “I was told I have deep roots in Philadelphia—Connie Mack. I don’t think we’re related, but there aren’t a lot of McGillicuddys.”

For the uninitiated: Cornelius McGillicuddy, known as Connie Mack, was a baseball player and team manager and owner—he managed the Philadelphia Athletics for the club’s first 50 seasons, starting in 1901. Mack, who retired at age 87, was the first manager to win the World Series three times. A stadium named for him at 21st and Lehigh was home to the As and later the Phillies. A church now sits on the site.

Anna McGillicuddy vowed to be as much a presence in the city as Ryan was. “She now knows it’s an hour-and-eight-minute-ride on the Acela,” from New York, where the consulate is located, Ryan joked.

Ryan said that he was touched to be given, earlier in the day, an American flag that had flown over the White House. He said he was taking it to Hong Kong with him. “It will be the first [Irish] consulate to have the US flag flying outside,” he told the crowd.

See our photos from the Union League event here.