NORTHERN IRELAND: Horses, Not Heads

It was a foregone conclusion, as the voters of Northern Ireland went to the polls last week for the first time in four years, that the Protestant, pro-British Unionist Party would win—just as it has in every general election since the North Irish government was established in 1920. But that did not prevent the Irish from going into a round of heady politicking. Although 21 of the seats were uncontested, the Unionists had to contest their claim to the other 31 seats against no less than nine opposition parties. In some constituencies, just to add spice to the occasion, Unionists were even standing against Unionists. The Unionists captured at least 35 of the 52 seats.

One constituency the Unionists lost was Roman Catholic East Tyrone, where the Nationalist Party, which favors union with Dublin, has been in full sway since 1921. Some of the Nationalists in East Tyrone wanted to return Joseph Stewart, Dungannon publican, to the seat he has held for 20 years. Others thought better of Desmond Mallon, who publicly promised not to take the seat even if he won it.

With 15 priests standing by in a local pub to ensure fair play, Desmond and Joe tossed a coin for the nomination. Joe called “heads” and won the seat. But the question East Tyrone voters are now debating is: Did Joe win fair & square? For the coin they tossed was not of the British variety bearing the Queen’s head, but a coin of the Irish Republic, with a harp on one side and a horse on the other. Joe Stewart, say the Mallon partisans, should have called “horses,” not “heads.”