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Celtic union

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A Celtic Nations Flag.
File:Wales, Scotland, Ireland (Celtic).jpg
An image combining the national flags of Wales, Scotland and Ireland. A political union between these three countries has been proposed.

Template:Celts and Modern Celts sidebarA Celtic union refers to political unity between the Celtic nations.

Historical proposals

Charles De Gaulle (uncle of the French President) insisted that Celtic countries must retain their languages to avoid cultural extinction, asserting that "so long as a conquered people speaks another language than the conquerors, the best part of them is still free".[1] In 1864 he proposed a Celtic Union that would establish and develop links between Celtic countries. There should also be a Celtic "Esperanto" to facilitate communication and which would be created from common elements in all Celtic languages and a Pan-Celtic festival.[1][2]: 108 

Modern proposals

A Celtic union has been proposed as an alternative to Brexit.[3][4]

Following the Brexit referendum there were calls for Pan-Celtic Unity. In November 2016, the First Minister of Scotland, Nicola Sturgeon stated the idea of a "Celtic Corridor" of the island of Ireland and Scotland appealed to her.[5] Some have proposed this as a potential link for a Celtic union.[6]

In January 2019 the leader of the Welsh nationalist Plaid Cymru party, Adam Price spoke in favour of cooperation among the Celtic nations of Britain and Ireland following Brexit. Among his proposals were a Celtic Development Bank for joint infrastructure and investment projects in energy, transport and communications in Ireland, Wales, Scotland, and the Isle of Man, and the foundation of a Celtic union, the structure of which is already existent in the Good Friday Agreement according to Price. Speaking to RTÉ, the Irish national broadcaster he proposed Wales and Ireland working together to promote the indigenous languages of each nation.[7][8]

Journalist Owen Donavan of The State of Wales published an article proposed Celtic confederation,"a voluntary union of sovereign nation-states – between Ireland, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. The Isle of Man would presumably be a candidate for inclusion too. Cornwall and Brittany could be added as future members if they can attain a measure of self-government." He also considered a Celtic Council, a similar co-operation that was proposed by Adam Price.[9]

Journalist Jamie Dalgety has also proposed the concept of a Celtic Union involving Scotland and Ireland but suggests that lack of support for Welsh independence may mean that a Gaelic Celtic Union involving may be more appropriate.[10]

Bangor University lecturer and journalist, Ifan Morgan Jones has suggested that "a short-term fix for Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland might be a greater degree of cooperation with each other, as a union within a union." he also suggested that "If they could find a way of working together in their mutual interest, that’s a fair degree of combined influence, particular if the next General Election produces a hung parliament."[11]

In a Plaid Cymru conference in 2019, leader of Sinn Fein, Mary Loud McDonald stated "We need a pan-celtic anti-Tory political culture. A shared political culture that respects each other’s sovereignty and right to nationhood. A shared political culture grounded in principles of common interest and common purpose."[12] She echoed these views in a supportive video message to YesCymru in 2022.[13]

See also

Celtic union may also refer to:

  • A pan-Celticist society founded in 1853 by Robert Cane (active 1853–1858)
  • A pan-Celticist society founded by a faction of the Celtic Congress in 1947 (active 1947–1950), see Celtic Congress

References

  1. ^ a b Charles de Gaulle Les Celtes aux dix-neuvieme siecle, Nantes, 1864, p. 351-358
  2. ^ De Barra, Caoimhín (2018). The Coming of the Celts, AD 1860: Celtic Nationalism in Ireland and Wales. Notre Dame: University of Notre Dame Press. ISBN 9780268103378.
  3. ^ "David Hamill: A Celtic Union as a Brexit alternative?". www.scotsman.com. Retrieved 2022-06-12.
  4. ^ "Why a Celtic union could counter Brexit". The Irish Times. Retrieved 2022-06-12.
  5. ^ "Scottish first minister backs calls for 'Celtic corridor'". independent.ie. 29 November 2016.
  6. ^ "The Bridge to Scotland. A Unionist Umbilical Cord or A Link to a Celtic Union?". Slugger O'Toole. July 23, 2020. Retrieved 2022-06-12.
  7. ^ Nualláin, Irene Ní (2019-01-10). "Welsh party leader calls for Celtic political union". RTÉ.ie.
  8. ^ "Adam Price: Scotland and Wales must form our own Celtic Union". The National. Retrieved 2022-06-12.
  9. ^ "Could a Celtic Union work?". State of Wales. 2019-03-11. Retrieved 2022-06-12.
  10. ^ says, Austen Lynch (2021-09-25). "Thought Experiment: A Celtic Union". The Glasgow Guardian. Retrieved 2022-06-12.
  11. ^ "Might a 'Celtic union' be one route to shifting the balance of power within the UK?". Nation.Cymru. 2022-06-12. Retrieved 2022-06-12.
  12. ^ "'Time to build a pan-Celtic political culture to defeat Toryism' - Sinn Féin President tells Plaid Cymru conference". www.sinnfein.ie. Retrieved 2022-07-14.
  13. ^ "twitter.com/yescymru/status". Twitter. Retrieved 2022-07-14.
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