A not so happy St Patrick’s Day

Sometimes, I have to question myself why I spend time trying to oppose voices that aim to spread hate in Ireland.

Is it for the sake of conflict? No, I’ve had enough of that in my life so far.

Is it to promote an opposing view to win votes? I’ve been there, done that. Doesn’t work.

Or maybe it’s because I don’t want my country to be seen as a nasty, negative little hellhole.

There’s a false dichotomy on display in Ireland at the moment – supposedly, it’s the government and their cheerleaders versus the guardians of traditional Ireland. Those of us who’ve opposed the neo-liberal agenda of Fianna Fail & Fine Gael, as well as promoting inclusion and diversity, have been effectively silenced.

The hard-won victory in the Water Charges campaign and the massed mobilised in the national Housing and Health campaigns have been forgotten.

The fruitcakes and headers who operated on the fringes of those campaigns have come to the fore in recent years. Wrapping themselves in the tricolour, they’ve effectively diverted anger away from the government and large corporations and instead have focused it on cash-strapped NGOs and vulnerable groups with fewer rights than them.

These are the people who many of us have tried to shoo away down through the years. Their YouTube explanations of power and corruption, coupled with their penchant for sensation, were chased away as lies designed to trick the working class.

Now, these folks have gained their 15 minutes of fame. Critical analysis goes out the window. Instead, it’s replaced by a thirst for attention. Gone are the days of stepping into the shoes of someone less fortunate than you. Now is the time of fake outrage, faux concern, and simplistic lies designed to embed division.

On this St Patrick’s Day, I have a tremendous urge to encourage any refugees thinking of fleeing here…to think again. The blood, sweat and tears that went into turning this nation into a welcoming place…are very much in vain when you see the government sending asylum seekers to sleep in the mountains for fear that some tourists from the US might see them.

Hand-in-hand, the protagonists of the hate agenda, and the cheerleaders of crony capitalism are carving out a “safe space” for themselves on this island. One that is free of critical debate and enlightened thought. One that is hellbent on bringing Ireland back to the days of Church domination and parish pump rule.

So this St Patrick’s Day, excuse me if I don’t feel so proud to be Irish. Our national flag is lying in a puddle infected with anti-progression and deference for vulture capitalism.

Did I expect something in return for the thousand in taxes paid or years of dedicated campaigning? No. Did I hope that, as I look towards starting a family, that my home would still be the welcoming place it’s tried to be when I was raised educated and worked through the 90s, 00s, and 10s?

Yes. Yes, I very much believed we’d always be the country that understood oppression. On this day of all days, I genuinely thought that we as a people would see how far we’ve come as a nation when we live peacefully, side-by-side, with difference.

Enjoy the day. Try not to get angry if you see a brown person marching in your local parade. I’m sure they mean no harm. They weren’t sent by the government to replace you or take your home. They’re most likely just facing the same economic reality as you – a cost-of-living crisis, crippling debt, and a burning desire to be able to provide a meaningful life to those they love.

Have a good Paddy’s Day.