"This year, rather than use Ireland’s privileged face time with the American President in advance of St. Patricks Day to discuss peace in Ireland or the fate of Ireland’s children in America, the Taoiseach pushed proud Irish-American Joe Biden to do something about his Gaza policy."
"Even the Irish, who take great pleasure in the long line of American Presidents it can claim, is peeved by America’s failures to do more about the Gaza crisis.
This time, Ireland is trying to teach America, not vice versa.
Happy Saint Patrick’s Day.
It’s not your mother’s Ireland anymore.
But if the American far right had its way — those who’ve fought to exacerbate centuries-old manufactured racism and with it fear — they would return Ireland to what it used to be."
"In the week that Ireland turns everything green and celebrates its diaspora, a new online archive has given voice to the human cost paid by generations of emigrants.
More than 7,000 letters from emigrants to North America spanning four centuries have been collected and digitised, giving poignant insight into the homesickness, tribulations, and occasional triumphs, of those who crossed the Atlantic."
If, as political parties would have us believe, immigration is such a burning issue (see what I did there?) in #Ireland then I'm looking forward to their inclusive statements next month when we smear our entire country in green, to celebrate our most famous immigrant #StPatrick ☘️