At its closest, there are only 12 nautical miles of water separating these conjoined islands.
Consequently, the northeast of this country and Scotland’s western seaboard has many things in common.
Sadly, one of them in the 21st century is a fascist subculture.
In my book, Minority Reporter. Modern Scotland’s bad attitude towards her own Irish ( 2013. Frontline Noir) I explained why the use of the term “klan” was appropriate.
This week graffiti aimed at Tánaiste Leo Varadkar appeared in Belfast.
Chris Donnelly’s take on its racist undertones was spot on.
The imposition of a sea border between Northern Ireland and Britain has hit the Loyalist community hard.
For them, it is a portent of a further constitutional separation from the rest of the disaggregating UK and, ultimately, a reunited island.
Many of the self-styled “PUL” (Protestant Unionist Loyalist) community would strongly identify with Scotland.
Sadly, they are further left behind by events in Fair Caledonia.
It is not overstating it to say that an independent Scotland kills the PUL identity.
Alba saor means the end of Britain.
Therefore, it isn’t easy to see how ANYONE could be British after that.
Moreover, those poor dears in the PUL community are an emotionally fragile bunch at the best of times.
However, when things seem bleak, they have a culturally approved method of making themselves feel better.
Kill Taigs.
“Taig” is an ugly word with only pejorative connotations.
In effect, it is the Ibrox klan’s N word.
My book editor Ms Angela Haggerty was targeted on the “Rangers Chat” podcast in 2012.
She was featured as “Taig of the day” by Mr David Limond just after the original Ibrox club had died.
Thankfully he was eventually brought before the courts and sentenced to six months in prison for threatening Ms Haggerty.
It was established in open court that the Police had not reacted to the initial complaint with the necessary urgency.
Thankfully Channel 4 News had downloaded all of the material that was used in the prosecution of Mr Limond.
A cynic might conclude this is because many in the Police share Mr Limond’s worldview of “Taigs”.
I, of course, couldn’t possibly comment.
The graffiti on that church door “KAT” (Kill All Taigs) is what sociologists call “eliminationist rhetoric”.
In other words, it comes from a bad place psychologically.
Another strange aspect of this vicious racist subculture is that they are actually hypersensitive souls.
This week bestselling author Irvine Welsh upset those poor dears who think it acceptable in 2021 to sing about being up to their knees in “Fenian blood”.
My publisher nailed it on Twitter.
Words are the tools of the trade for any author and I’m sure that the man who created Renton, Spud and Sick Boy is well aware of this one.
For the uninitiated the song “the Billy Boys” remembers the exploits of a razor gang in the 1920s led by its eponymous leader Billy Fullerton.
He was a self-identifying Fascist and a member of the Ku Klux Klan.
Of course, it was the Irish Catholics of Glasgow who would be the targets of his hatred rather than black people.
However, as the graffiti aimed at Leo Varadkar shows the klan in this part of the world is every bit as white supremacist as their cousin across the Pond.
On a personal note, I’m grateful that my journey has taken me to a point where I can safely say that my interactions with the Ibrox klanbase are pretty close to mathematical zero.
More importantly, my brood grew up in Dún na nGall with no awareness of their existence until they were of an age to know that they were such people sharing the island with us.
In my last two stages plays (Hame and Rebellion) which are two parts of a Glasgow Irish trilogy
In each play, the heroes onstage (Kirsty Montgomery and John Brown) had been brought up in the Ibrox subculture.
However, for their own reasons of personal growth they’d decided to Do Walking Away.
All writing is metaphor and in these characters, I was portraying the belief that the ancestors of those at Ibrox would be disgusted with what they had become.
The radical regicide Presbyterian republicans of 18th century Antrim would undoubtedly detest their flute playing kith and kin in 2021.
Racists aren’t born they’re made.
Consequently, they can be unmade.
In both Narne Arne and Fair Caledonia, it is vital to be a keen Klan spotter and hold up a mirror to them.
That is the vital task that literature, in all of its forms, performs.
I’m sure that Mr Welsh agrees with me.
Indeed, upsetting precious fascists is a highly worthwhile endeavour for anyone who wants to live in a decent society.
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KAT graffiti is appearing everywhere. Councils remove it but it needs to be highlighted for what it is. Anti Catholic!
Education is required on both sides of the fence here. I once worked with a group of teenagers who were all serving sentences for various crimes. Crimes with varying degrees of seriousness. As it happened the group were all Protestants, although not all Rangers supporters. Two supported Celtic.
Anyway, a new arrival was immediately asked if he was a “kafflik” or a “prodisent”. It turned out he was a Catholic Celtic supporter.
I tried to start a sensible discussion on why it should matter. Well! That was a mistake. There were seven teenagers and out of them I must have got ten opinions. Most of the protestant faction were not in fact protestant. They were atheists……..just not smart enough to know the difference. It seems that if you’re not Catholic you’re automatically protestant.
I then asked if they could even spell the word, protestant. NO ONE got remotely close!
The “Catholic” new-comer turned to me and asked if I was a Celtic supporter. I looked at him and replied, “Is the Pope a Catholic?”
The kafflik looked back at me with a completely baffled expression on his face and said, “How the fuck should I know! Is he?”
Much education is required.
To be fair what’s good for the goose. Walsh can’t come out calling them Huns, while moaning about things the Sevco fans say. Neither is right or proper in this day and age. I also note that you have not posted my last contribution, the one where I point out you moan about an unflattering picture of Lennon while posting one of Boris J.
As a journalist you should be strongly in favour of the truth and as such should not be censoring posts unless they are inflammatory or illegal and not for pointing out your short comings.
As for this article maybe the unification would be a good thing as it would remove the Braddish element country as I am sure many would leave.
( we will see if this gets posted )
“Racists aren’t born, they’re made.
Consequently, they can be unmade.”
I think this is such an important insight, Phil.
And a challenge to me. What do I need to do avoid racism, and what can I do to help others recognize and renounce racism? Right now, I don’t have the answer, but I do want to keep looking for it.
I’m thinking, by the time the ‘Klan’ are back inside ibrox, the fleg won’t be accompanying them. Now that is a thought.
Great article Phil.
The snowflakes who were up in arms regarding one of their hero’s being called a sticky need to have a word with themselves.
These are the same pepul who week in week out at every ground in Scotland chant,sing and shout the most vile racist, bigoted, sectarian abuse that is inbred into them.
Human beings are not born with these beliefs, so my question is at what age are they taught to be Catholic hating bigoted racists?
Police Scotland and PSNI appear to be singing from the same hymn sheet (Ibrox song book) when it comes to Policing these matters and unless it is tackled by respective governments, sadly, I can’t see it ever changing!!