‘Our Language May Have Been Colourful But Our Actions Were Entirely Peaceful’

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Gardaí outside Regans Bar in Roscommon town last night 

Further to Enda Kenny’s visit to Regans Bar last night, the Roscommon Says No group writes:

“We saw unconfirmable rumours on Friday evening (yesterday) on the internet that Enda Kenny was going to be attending a Fine Gael Function in Roscommon Town later in the evening. We phoned the pub and they denied that he was going to be there. A number of us decided to travel from around Roscommon to the pub just in case the rumours turned out to be true. We could not pass up the opportunity to let the Taoiseach know the strength of our opposition to his government’s anti democratic imposition of water charges.”

“We were thinking the possibility of his actually arriving was a long shot as the idea of Enda Kenny at the present moment turning up in Roscommon, where many people’s water is poisonous, and where he and local FG TD Frank Feighan are despised because of broken promises made about the local Roscommon Hospital A&E before the last election, seemed ridiculous. Around 25 of us gathered initially outside the premises. Eight of us went inside to have a drink, basically convinced that he wasn’t coming as there were no Gardai present.”

“Around 15 minutes later we realised that he actually WAS coming when we saw local TD Frank Feighan preparing to greet him. The minute he walked in the door we began to sing the anthem of the anti water charges protesters in Dublin in solidarity with them: ‘You can stick your water meters up your arse / you can stick your 100 euro up your arse’. Some of us also repeatedly told him that we did not want our water supply privatised and that it was time for him to go as his mandate to govern has disappeared. We were surrounded by Gardai and asked to leave and did so without any fuss.”

“We thought it fitting to protest Enda Kenny in a constituency where – according to the government’s plan – we will not be charged for the poison coming in to our homes – but WILL be charged for the privilege of having the poison taken away again. FG / Labour have been in government for years and many of us present have lived with the reality of constant ongoing boil water notices for those years.”

“We are also angry with the fact that this government are basically setting up a system whereby the ordinary people – many many of whom are living on the breadline – will end up subsidising the water supply of the privileged in our society with money they cannot afford. The water charges at base are a regressive poll tax. We also have no confidence whatsoever that in the medium term – if entrusted to the care of the present government – our water will remain in public ownership.”

“There has been criticism on national radio from Fine Gael public representatives of the manner of our protest. Our language may have been colorful – but our actions were entirely peaceful. Freedom of expression still exists in Ireland despite some members of our political and media elites openly wishing things were otherwise. We will continue to use it.”

Previously: ‘Get Out Of Our Pub’

Via Roscommon Says No

Pic: Sisa Guevara

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13 thoughts on “‘Our Language May Have Been Colourful But Our Actions Were Entirely Peaceful’

  1. grumpyoldman

    The recent so-called climb down by the Government on the water charges is a con job. Despite the fanfare associated with the announcement, the removal of the 30,000 Ltr. allowance, the reduction in the unit charge and the scrapping of the PAYE allowance has resulted in a substantial increase in my water bill.
    A simple calculation shows that the extra 30,000 litres charged at €3.70 equals €111.00 plus in my case the retraction of a PAYE refund of €34.38 comes to €145.38 and notwithstanding the reduction in the unit charge and the subsidy of €100.00 from Department of Social Protection the so called u-turn by the Government is costing me an extra €103.81. (Now given the spin-doctoring that took place over the announcement one would have thought that a major concession had been given.)
    Other than putting the cap on households, which will suit large users and people who waste water, there is no benefit to a conscientious customer. They also destroyed a growing industry that was rainwater harvesting.
    I have fitted a rain water system and I have been monitoring my usage since the meter was installed two Months ago and from the data I have compiled the results as shown on the table below.
    We are a two person household (Retired couple) and having done the comparison the new system will cost me an extra €103.81 over the year.
    Roll on 10th December to see the peaceful and dignified street protest; they are not fooling anyone.
    Water Charges
    Old New
    Total Ltrs. 65232 65232
    Free Allowance 30000 0
    Chargeable Ltrs. 35232 65232
    Tariff €4.88/k Ltrs. 171.93
    Tariff €3.70/k Ltrs. 241.36
    Tax Back 34.38
    Govt Allowance 100.00 100.00
    Total Charge 37.55 141.36
    Diff + €103.81

  2. delacaravanio

    I don’t support the way this water charge mess has been handled and, I have nothing but contempt for Fine Gael and Kenny, but to ambush anyone in the pub on a Friday night the way they did, f-ing him out of it and roaring as they were was pathetic.

    Here’s a simple tip for the future: if you’re a group of less than five persons three feet from Enda Kenny and indoors you can put the phone down and try talking to him civilly. If he refuses to talk to you, and you get dragged out of there, you can then start roaring your chants and complaining about a police state, or whatever. Like the guy in Buswells who shouted at Pat Rabbitte all you’ve done is garnered sympathy for Kenny by having to deal with unreasonable dickheads who don’t grasp the concept of an indoor voice.

      1. delacaravanio

        If these protesters act like drunks, roaring and shouting as they did, it doesn’t help the cause.

    1. Anne

      all you’ve done is garnered sympathy for Kenny

      Not really.
      When he loses his job and is destitute, then I might have sympathy… for a minute or two.

    2. Sido

      No seriously, the notion of tolerating Kenny and his quisling lackey Feighan in Roscommon, is really a bit strong, for a lot of people, who live there.
      You don’t seem to be able to properly understand the contempt people in Roscommon feel for Kenny.
      The question should be why did Kenny feel the need to show up in Roscommon at all?

  3. John

    These guys are upset that they think they are subsidising the “privileged” of society by paying for water! I have news for you buddy! You are the privileged.
    Country folk supply their own water and pay for it themselves and are subsidising the urban “privileged” for their water. I don’t see any of the urban water whingers talking about that.

    1. Jim Computer

      ‘urban water whingers’
      Really?

      Is that the best you can do?
      Take your head out of the bog, come and live in a city.
      (Bring your own sheep.)

    2. cluster

      I agree that much of the talk about access to water must seem bizarre to those paying to be part of a group scheme and with their own septic tank.

      On the other hand, bringing urban/rural divide into things is farcical. Urban dwellers pay much more tax and receive much less funding per person. That’s before you consider CAP etc.

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