Knights of the Red Branch Inc

Knights of the Red Branch Inc, a California Domestic Corporation, commissioned the "Modeling Irish Unification" economic report, published 17 November 2015.

Creation and status

Filed on 11 June 2010, the company's file number is C3303517 and its status is listed as active. Its registered agent is John Coyle at 2193 Trafalgar Pl, Oakland, CA 94611. The principal address of Knights of the Red Branch Inc is 4096 Piedmont Avenue 260, Oakland, CA 94611.

Overview

The company gained attention in late 2015 and early 2016 for commissioning a study demonstrating the economic benefits of Irish unity. Its authors were Prof. Dr. Kurt Hubner of the University of British Columbia, and Dr. Renger van Nieuwkoop, director of Modelworks, a Swiss-based consulting firm, and researcher at the ETH Zurich. "The study was commissioned by K[nights of the].R[ed].B[ranch Inc]., a San Francisco Bay area–based nonprofit social welfare organization that promotes social welfare and conflict resolution through education." .

According to Irish online blog Slugger O'Toole:

"This Knights of the Red Branch, Inc. appears to have been established in June 2010 – at the fag-end of Gerry Adams’ World Tour for Irish Unity ... and around the time that economic consultant, and ex-CitiBanker, Michael Burke , was telling ‘Unity’ audiences that the economic case for reunification and independence was stronger than ever. According to an on-line listing for Knights of the Red Branch, Inc. the registered agent for the organisation is Ciaran Scally and the business address is in Oakland, California. ... Ciaran Scally made the news in 1999, when he convinced Oakland City Council to name a previously un-named “50-yard stretch of roadway” “Gerry Adams Way”."

Furthermore,

"The SF Gate report tells us that Ciaran Scally “emigrated here from Northern Ireland 15 years ago” [1984]. ... Ciaran Scally’s property development business, Rathlin Properties LLC, that shares the same business address as the Knights of the Red Branch, Inc. ... Scally Electric Inc, Piedmont California, appears in the list of donors to Friends of Sinn Féin that the Irish Times compiled. Between 1997 and 2011 over $14,000 was donated in his name. Included in that is around $7000 in various amounts in just one month, April 2003. ... The submission for 2013 contains two references of note. Among the itineraries at the end of the document is a reference to a Sinn Féin representative, it isn’t entirely clear who, flying from San Diego to San Francisco on 30th March to be “Met by Ciaran Scally”. ...In the itinerary for Des Mackin, Sinn Féin Director of Finance, a meeting is noted for Saturday 2nd March 2013. "Met with Board of Knights of the Red Branch At Hilton San Francisco 333 O’Farrel St. "

Reception of report

While the report gained some coverage in global media (for example, The Financial Times), its reception in Ireland was mixed. Among the Irish publications who reported it were TheJournal.ie, businesspost.ie, independent.ie, and The Irish Times. The Journal drew attention to the paper's caveat that unification could only take place "under ideal political conditions" and that the paper "does not make any calls for political integration, saying that isn’t even necessary" In contrast, Sinn Féin MEP Matt Carthy had argued in July 2015 that "a united Ireland cannot and should not be limited to the economics ... The real question of Irish unity is about a fundamental democratic choice for us all."

East Antrim DUP MLA Gordon Lyons dismissed the report as "Gerry Adams-style economics", stating that "Support for the union has never been higher in Northern Ireland because people see the value of our NHS and being part of one of the world's largest economies, as well as many other positives of being in the United Kingdom"

The UUP's Steve Atkin stated "its conclusions are flawed. The notion that a United Ireland would see £25 billion of economic gains if only the border was to be removed is fantasy economics of the highest order. It was a Minister in the Republic, Jimmy Deenihan, who said ‘Ireland cannot afford a united Ireland.'" he went on to say:

the report conveniently ignores the fact that the Union enjoys overwhelming support amongst the people of Northern Ireland as evidenced in successive elections and a variety of official statistics including census data and Life & Times surveys.

Secondly, Northern Ireland is part of the United Kingdom, the fifth largest economy in the world. Indeed when the Republic’s economy crashed in 2010 and required a 67 billion Euro bailout to stave off an economic and societal meltdown, it was the UK Government that provided 8.5 billion Euro directly, and an additional 18 billion Euro to bail out the Ulster Bank to support our neighbours in the Republic and avoid a catastrophe.

Both Sinn Féin and its newspaper, An Phoblacht welcomed the findings, while U.S.A.'s Irish America (magazine) described it as "The first ever independent, non-partisan study" of its kind. . Sinn Féin MEP, Matt Carthy, party spokesperson on the campaign for Irish Unity, stated that it is “an independent study which shows that Irish Unity would be economically beneficial for both jurisdictions on the island.” Peadar Tóibín TD, stated that the political and economic reunification of Ireland would lead to significant growth north and south and create up to €35.6bn of GDP growth in 8 years.

See also

External links

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