Originally Posted by
Quarterpoundher
High West, hope things are good Leeside...
To you question West.. I love the way things are now, I’m only 34 but as anyone Irish my age or more will tell you, Ireland in the 70’s and even much of 80’s was just wall to wall monotone pasty white, foxy drab and dreary, I was born in London and was only there for few months but at school that was enough to single me out for attention, and I was as white and Irish as the rest of them, they could only have known I was technically English from there parents, so that would give some insight as to how backward we were not so long ago, I love to see Children at the GAA pitch of every hue pulling lumps out of each other with a hurley, I think it’s Multiculturalism at work at it’s best, and thing’s can only improve as that generation grows older and has been totally at ease with each other from Childhood.
The thing I love in particular is how African and Indian Women dress, they light up the street in the colors and style of dress, and I’d give my eye teeth to have the style that African Men have in there dress, they are to a Man always immacukety turned out and make me look like I went on a 24 hour tapathon with Michael Flatly in my wellies.
I also love the idea of that town in Galway, (I think its Tuam) that’s practically Brazilian now, I have a soft spot for the Brazilians, and if I could be any nationality other then Irish it would be them. People have raised concerns about that large a percentage increase, but I guarantee that those same people have maybe 20 relations in Irish enclaves in Boston and elsewhere and can’t see the hypocrisy of there stance.
Basically West, its swings and roundabouts, We were flung far and wide to the vagaries of English Lords, and where we landed were not welcomed initially, but took root and prospered.
People coming here have been flung by the vagaries of economics and will regrettably also face some hostility from people with no inkling of our past, but will also take root and prosper, and after a decade or so when African and East Europeans names are a regular feature of teams taking part in all Ireland Sunday, we’ll look back, shake our heads and wonder what all the fuss was about...
As for heritage, I’m immensely proud to be born Irish, especially proud of our peacekeepers around the world, we punch far above our weight in that regard. We have a fantastic little corner here, with a unique mindset and collective personally that sets us apart. but I do feel were slipping just a little in the craze for consumption that’s gone on, issues of racism have served to highlight the slipping of the mask were famous for of a 100 thousand welcomes, were now maybe on 90 thousand and pray it doesn’t slip further. It’s the one regrettable feature of the last decade
I understand the level of consumption that’s gone on because I feel as a nation the last decade has been our collective late teenage years IE just left school, first wage packet, and determined to blow the lot, and think that’s out of our system now and have woken up to a hangover and will enter our twenties soon as a nation, and focus on whats important, and that’s not necessarily having or pretending to have it all at the expense of your bank managers nerves and hairline.
We gave 800 years as children who were to be seen and not heard, but now were a confident nation, and god help anyone who trys to shut us up or box us in (IE Lisbon ref) and I welcome all to ours shores whose wish to better themselves, and as result better us as well...
Cead Mille Failte...