October 25 1974
The suggestion made by Rev Ian Paisley that Loyalists of Northern Ireland should boycott money and goods from the 26-counties as a protest against the statement made in the Dail by the Taoiseach, Mr Liam Cosgrave, that power-sharing and the Irish Dimension in Northern Ireland were not negotiable, has been described as “ludicrous” by Mr Bob Cooper of the Alliance Party.
Mr Cooper said that the suggestion was totally contrary to the spirit of the Common Market to which both the North and South of Ireland belonged.
Mr Cooper said that Northern Ireland already received £4 million from the Social Fund in the Common Market to help in training the unemployed. They hoped to receive very substantial sums of money when the Regional Fund came into existence.
What chance, asked Mr Cooper, would our negotiators have to drive a good bargain with the Common Market officials if in fact we indulged in a policy which would negate all that the Common Market stood for?
“I have no doubt, however”, added Mr Cooper, “that it is purely a publicity gimmick by Mr Paisley like so many of his other gimmicks, such as the return of the Clyde Valley. Once he has got the newspaper headlines he will soon drop it and go on to something else”.
Mr Tom Jordan, chairman, speaking at the inaugural meeting of the Lisburn Branch of the Unionist Party of Northern Ireland said Mr Paisley’s suggestion to boycott goods from the Irish Republic was an example of hysterical extremism. Trade should be encouraged between all countries, he said, as it led to the economic growth and prosperity of the country.
Mr Jordan added: “Mr Paisley is not an expert on economics. I seriously doubt if he can profess to be an expert on Christianity. We have seen precious little sign from him of the neighbourly love that the Bible instructs one to demonstrate.
I wonder if Mr Paisley, when he opens his new Church in Monaghan, will refuse to accept the collection if it is comprised of currency from the Irish Republic? I think not!”
Mr Leslie Morrell, former Minister of Agriculture in the Northern Ireland Executive and Deputy leader of the UPNI said Mr Cosgrave’s instructions about how Northern Ireland was to govern itself was offensive, but Mr Paisley’s hysterical extremism was also offensive.
