Conor Cruise O'Brien quotes

Man watches his history on the screen with apathy and an occasional passing flicker of horror or indignation. (Conor Cruise O'Brien)
You can safely appeal to the UN in the comfortable certainty that it will let you down. View quote
Conor Cruise O'Brien
Human nature doesn't include all human beings. There are human beings who are indifferent to politics, religion, virtually anything. View quote
Conor Cruise O'Brien
Nothing does more to activate Christian divisions than talk about Christian unity. View quote
Conor Cruise O'Brien
There were other fellow-sufferers, lower-case ones: the thousands who were either killed, maimed or bereaved by the devotees of the Irish Republic in Mr Sands's organization, the Provisional IRA. Those other dead, however, being the wrong kind, are implicitly excluded from what is seen as a celestial tête-à-tête. View quote
Conor Cruise O'Brien
The main thing that endears the United Nations to member governments, and so enables it to survive, is its proven capacity to fail, and to be seen to fail. If there is something you are expected to do, but don't want to do, or even have done for you, you can safely appeal to the UN in the comfortable certainty that it will let you down. View quote
Conor Cruise O'Brien
The main thing that endears the United Nations to member governments, and so enables it to survive, is its proven capacity to fail, and to be seen to fail. View quote
Conor Cruise O'Brien
Of history and its consequences it may be said: "Those who can, gloat; those who can't, brood." Englishmen are born gloaters; Irishmen born brooders. View quote
Conor Cruise O'Brien
If I saw Mr. Haughey buried at midnight at a crossroads, with a stake driven through his heart – politically speaking – I should continue to wear a clove of garlic round my neck, just in case. View quote
Conor Cruise O'Brien
Irishness is not primarily a question of birth or blood or language; it is the condition of being involved in the Irish situation, and usually of being mauled by it. On that definition Swift is more Irish than Goldsmith or Sheridan, although by the usual tests they are Irish and he is pure English. View quote
Conor Cruise O'Brien
I expected a lot of negative reactions to my critique of aspects of Irish nationalism, and I got a fiercely negative set of reactions of course from sympathisers with Sinn Féin and the IRA, that is to say, people who are so nationalist they were prepared to kill for nationalist objectives. (Conor Cruise O'Brien)
We taught our young people hatred of England. We taught them that the Six Counties were rightfully ours: that is, that they should be ruled by Catholics. View quote
Conor Cruise O'Brien