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JOURNALIST JOHN McCARTHY became a worldwide celebrity in 1991, upon his release from five years of captivity in a cell in west Beirut.
Some 21 years after regaining his freedom, McCarthy has again returned to the Middle East to write a new book, You Can’t Hide The Sun, about his travels through Israel and Palestine and his encounters with Israeli Arabs.
Ahead of his appearance at the West Cork Literary Festival tonight, TheJournal.ie spoke to McCarthy about his ordeal; how it has affected him in the decades since; and what Martin McGuinness’s handshake with the Queen might mean.
Here’s what he had to say…
On becoming a celebrity after his release:
It’s odd. It took me until I came home to realise just how famous I was. I knew about the campaign for the hostages, and that we were well known. But it obviously didn’t translate – at that time, everybody on the street would recognise me.
I hadn’t expected it. And I was just an ordinary bloke – I hadn’t done anything, I’d just survived. I hadn’t written a great book, or made a great speech, or been a musician. It was just because I was me, and I’d come home.
But now I find it’s never intrusive. People are lovely. And it works not only professionally, but in terms of charities and so on, sometimes your presence is valued and you can do something to help. So that’s really nice.
On why his five years in captivity didn’t put him off the Middle East:
Quite a few of the Palestinians I met in Israel said “Haven’t you had enough of the Arabs?” But no, I wasn’t put off. While I would never condone what those young men did to me and the other guys – and my family by extension – I realised that they were caught up in a conflict. And they came from a part of the Lebanese community that in those days were very much the underdogs of Lebanon, the Shia Muslim community; and they were fighting for their place, fighting for their country too in a way. Albeit what they were doing to me I didn’t approve of.
Also I had previously visited some of the Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon and thought, wow, what would it be like to live like this, stuck and unable to go home? And then suddenly that was my experience – stuck and unable to go home. So it gave me a kind of empathy, or perhaps a basic understanding, of some of that experience. And even though I came from a very happy middle-class English background, I now have more of a connection to the Middle East.
On how the practice of abduction has changed since the 1980s:
In other parts of the Middle East, people are still taken and held. But the difference is that the people holding me and Brian Keenan and the other guys – for whatever reason they were doing it, their intention was to keep their hostages alive and use them for some kind of political clout.
It wasn’t for the horrible spectacles that we do see with al-Qaeda and that kind of style kidnappings, in Iraq a few years ago and also in Afghanistan, where people had their throats cut. Luckily for us, although it was a long and horrible ordeal, there wasn’t that kind of gruesome spectacle hanging over us.
John McCarthy waves to supporters after being welcomed home (John Stillwell/PA Archive/Press Association Images)
On what Martin McGuinness’s handshake with Queen Elizabeth could mean for the rest of the world:
I was at a dinner recently in London, and one of the speakers there was Ed Miliband. He was talking about the handshake, and saying that this was literally unimaginable a few years ago. It was beyond belief. But now it’s happened – and the people of Northern Ireland, the republicans and unionists, have moved on. It’s because everyone has realised – apart from a few fringe people on either side – that there is no future in this. That we’ve got to live together.
And I think there is hope for other countries, particularly in terms of Israel-Palestine. At the moment you’ve got a hard-right Israeli government who speak very noisily about a Jewish state, and that is denying one in five of the population. In fact the population of Arabs is increasing, so it will soon be one in four. And you can’t really have a democracy that excludes one in four of the population. So that will change.
Many of the Israelis want peace. They’re friends with the Palestinians, or the ones in Israel anyway. And many of these people are working together to improve things – women’s rights, or education, not the heavy politics necessarily. And that’s building a groundswell that will gradually – and it will be gradual – work its way to the top. And people will say, well, we’ve got to share this space, so let’s do it comfortably.
So we can look forward to hopefully another handshake, or a lot of handshakes, in a decade’s time.
On Brian Keenan’s famous words after his release – and whether he had similar ambitions:
I’m going to visit every country in the world, eat all the food of the world, drink all the drink of the worldand, I hope, make love to every woman in the world. Then I might get a good night’s sleep. (Brian Keenan, 1990)
For me certainly there was a real desire, having been stuck in a very small space for a long time, to travel a great deal. And to enjoy life – to eat food, drink wine, make love. I was engaged, so I wasn’t thinking about all the women in the world – just one woman at that time.
But I think the important thing that’s often forgotten in that quote is what he said afterwards, which was “Then get a good night’s sleep.”
That was the bit that really resonated with me. Because I heard it when I was still locked up, he got out a year before me. And I thought, that’s it. As a captive in those circumstances, you’re not doing anything. And you’re often quite stressed. So you never get a good night’s sleep.
So in a way I think the idea was to yes, do all those wonderful things, but then the utter goal would be just to have a really good kip.
John McCarthy is appearing at the West Cork Literary Festival in Bantry tonight, along with Anita Desai. His new book You Can’t Hide The Sun: A Journey Through Israel and Palestine is available now published by Bantam.
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I agree. And still no Banking investigation.
We have ex politicians on pensions of €120,000 which they claim straight away and presidents on pensions of €180,000. The government has said it can do nothing about this yet the same government has said it will bring in legislation to allow it to cut public sector salaries if unions don’t agree reforms.
Hypocritical if you ask me.
Much of our problems are related to the Irish Constitution. It was written with a differnt plan in mind. Times have changed. Goals have changed and needs have changed. Yet the constitution has not. The ammendments to the constitution continues to place power in the hands of a few.. Politicians and the church. The people of this country will never hold oower until the current constitution is re-written.
I don’t know what we have here… But I certainly know it’s not democracy!
State boards? State Borgia more like
Sad to see that FG & Lab are just as bad as FF. Wasn’t I naive to think that they would be better!
Excellent article Sarah keep up the good work at informing us as to what is really going on in the country ,i bet you will not hear this on RTE at six o clock .
Thomas, You won’t make that mistake again I hope. They’re all just suited robots.
FG are continuity FF, the Labour leadership aren’t much better. Most people can see that now. James O Reilly, big Phil Hogan are enough proof. Enda backing them all the way.
And that totally sums up what is so wrong in our country ….. It’s not what you know , it’s who you know !
Well that’s the same everywhere. You can get jobs in big international companies through contacts and good impressions. So success based on your connections is the norm.
Where Ireland stands out is the fact that this carries over into the political system.
The current Ministers do not want to attack the current system because they feel that they can benifit from board positions in the future.
What’s boiling point for blood?
A handshake with Enda Kenny.
I hear that if you follow it up with a good head butt it cools you right down.
They’re a shameless shower
I mean, you’d think the thought might cross their minds that if they were to hand a plum job to a mate of theirs who hadn’t even applied for it, and the meeja got a hold of it that they might look slightly slimy and therefore feel embarrassed at having been caught out.
Nope, not our brave political masters. No such weak minded thinking to be found among that lot.
Sure they know they can’t lose their jobs, until the next election anyway. So it probably makes no difference to them!
Sorry… But if the horse was purchsed specifically to race, ans it can’t race…. What do you do…? You don’t give the horse another job in the racing industry. .. The horse is kept as a pet, put to pasture or becomes dog food.
Politicians are like horses. Either they are thoroughbreds who can run a great race or they can not. In the past 20 years our politicians have not run a good race… They haven’t been doing what they were put in place to do. They seldom do what they say they are going to do. So what choice do we have… But to put them out to pasture or turn them into dog food?
Hamburger joke anyone….
“politicians are like horses” yeah, full of sh1t !
What gets me is that minister deenihan can just blatantly appoint people against the rules, who probably aren’t even qualified, and not a thing will be done. In my job if you break the rules you are punished. That’s how the real world works.
Lol… If this country held as much passion for politics and its govermental systems as they do for hurling, football and rugby…. We would then see a great deal more of accountability and reform.
well what a fool was i thinking that these people f/g f/f lab wood be any different not one bit. but as i have asked b4 what can the people on the floor do. we all voted for change the last time out an it has made little difference only to the people at the bottom trying to keep it together
John… I truly understand your frustration. I have been trying to keep it together for years…. Trying to understand our government…. Regardless… I have found that Direct Democracy Ireland (http://directdemocracyireland.ie/) are definitely on the right track to making changes in our country. I’m not saying that they are the “end all be all”, but as a grassroots organization… Any one of us could add our voice for direction. Take a look at their website.
The same thing has happened with appointments to statutory boards for the RIAI. Suitable candidates are recommended, government ignores ans substitutes political appointees.
What’s most sad is when it happens with charities. 2 ex ff ministers head of charities so very sad
which ones are they head of ?
Promised before the election ???, Finn fail are promising transparency now, go figure ,
Is it incompetence or just being cute f..kers,
No surprise there, If we want real reforms and guarantee they are happening? There’ll have to be a revolt by the citizens, make heads roll and go through every department with a fine tooth comb!
This cronyism is nothing new for FG and Labour since they got into power.
I’ve been writing about it since they first got in. No one seems to want to pay attention until now?
Why indeed is this news only now? Its being going on by our crooks in power from the beginning.
Reform haha !! Remember Enda slagging of FF over their Galway races tent and in one of his talks on this he said that when he was in power he would do away with the Galway races tent culture and in fairness he did,…….he had one at the Punchestown racing festival.
No reforms until the get caught or forced to.
Why would they appoint somebody with a pulse,
It always amuses me whenever they appoint a board or committee to look into something they seem to have plenty of these muppets to choose from at a minutes notice
Dailwatch.ie is hosting a Twitterchat around ‘Political Representation in Ireland’ on the 6th of Feb from 12-2pm. To join the conversation tweet @dailwatch at this time
Yes John . But not here because that would piss off a friend of a friend that got him the job . And some day soon his friend will need a job so the circus rolls on
Thanks Sarah, it is hard to find decent journalism in this country. Keep up the good work. More people with your talents are needed.
Agreed.
What do we expect, we keep voting in the same big three again and again and somehow think we will get change.
“A 2012 report by the Institute of Directors In Ireland on the efficiency of state board appointments in Ireland found that the majority of board members of state bodies are concerned by the lack of transparency around the appointment process, and feel that there has been undue consideration given to the skills required to fulfil board positions”
Do you mean to say that “undue consideration given to the skills required to fulfil board positions” is a bad thing? Board members were concerned that their selection process involved too much questioning of whether they had the right skillset?
One problem we have with filling positions on state boards is we have a large contingent of totally inexperienced armchair pundits applying, with little or no experience in anything, let alone the position they are going for. They may be passionate and angry about the state of the country, but it doesn’t make them a good board member. Experience and skills do count.
By the same logic, it would be good to see a list of who is on state boards and how their resume justifies their role. It should neither be a retirement perk for politicians nor a platform for political activists. It should be a responsible productive knowledgeable board member with demonstrable experience to add value to whatever body they are posted to.
your talking bull .
Nice try troll, your cohorts have been unmasked once again…jobs for the boys is alive and well under FG and labour..
Labour’s discontent at a broken system was the base of their GE campaign, FG promised an open and transparent government…all lies but hardly surprising, FG never had any integrity.
Jobs for the smartly skilled, experienced and knowledgeable. If you don’t count yourself among them, that’s one person’s fault – yours.
I’m not a close buddy, relative, sibling, wife or husband of any serving member of this disgraced coalition and that is the main criteria and skill needed to get a state job these days…you can try dress it up, most FG sycophants try to spin their way out their blatant disregard for employment rules.
Maybe the new national anthem should be a combination of the Boomtown Rats Banana Republic and Ghost town by the specials. This so called clarion call by Enda Eunuch Kenny to make Ireland the best and most transparent country to do business in wiped away with this article. Maybe the CHANGE FG and LAB were really talking about was to have their party lackeys in these position for a CHANGE from the previous FF lackeys.
If they can be appointed in that manner, they can be removed in a similar manner.
Same old, same old! ‘Not what you know WHO you know’ this mentality of the Irish political elite never changes. The likes Deenihan ignore the rules and get away with it, they know they can in the land of NO accountability. The Labour/Fine Gael mob are just as bad as the FF/PD/Green mob who went before them. CRONYISM is what makes Irish politics tick, the ‘Ill scratch your back if you scratch mine’ way of doing things is all these parasites know. They use the state boards to reward their crony’s simple as that. None of these positions should be filled without an application being made, an interview process and a background check to see that people being appointed can actually do the job. It is yet another example of banana republic government from the shysters who run the dysfunctional state. Gombeenism of the highest order!
It is more and more obvious that we are run by “tribes” much like African Banana Republics. This is because there are no significant ideological differences between the main parties and we sheep just flock to one or other tribe for historical reasons. I am all for taking care of our own (all things being EQUAL) but this latest carry on is ridiculous. The sooner we understand the limitations of our “tribal” system the sooner we replace it with a normal Left /Right Dail tension which will stir meaningful debate on key national issues as opposed to “who got a medical clinic in their back yard.”
Solutions, 1st past the post at election time, reduce their numbers, have a list system for people interested in running state departments,
At lest do something, the present system doesn’t work
A sub committee appointed by a committee to inform the committee that a sub committee has been appointed….
Lol, dan
Its really sad but the state gravy train for the faithful is trundling on. Corruption is so ingrained in the ruling classes and because of nepotism you cant see the join between goverment/banks/public mandarins/big business. Anarchy is the only way to address the problem.
You sound someone who doesn’t know what they don’t know.
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