The Irish seem a persistent lot with good memories who after more than 1,000 years of some of the worst domination from the early colonial times to nearly the end of the last century.
It has made wrong for an Irishman in Ireland to have his land, religion, or language. After they built fine churches beautified with their gold, supported a fine education for their youth, lived well with healthy lives for many years and for many years living in Christian peace, the Vikings heard of their gold and rich green land and came and came and took and killed. Later they came and traded and and stay, treaties were made and some peace came. However, the culture was weaken and diluted. Fewer and fewer Norsemen came. In the meantime the English culture had grown they came and saw the pleasant green land. More came. More came with armies. They conquered and controlled. This control lasted for about 1000 years.
Then step by step the land was enclosed and not permitted to the Irish, Irish language could not be taught nor could Irish history. Irish Christianity was outlawed. Finally with no land there was no food. There was hunger and death, nobility fled the country, some well educated wealthy fled, then many found a way to flee. Peat grew over bones also Irish blood and genes continued to move over the land.
Then step by step there were more hedge schools where religion was taught and more, helping the Irish to remember. The Irish abroad remembered too. Step by step the Irish resisted. The English began to loosen their grip and step back a tiny bit. Between the US Civil War and WWI enough Irish came to feel that Ireland ought to be and an Irish Nation be, be not just a dream, but BE. Step by step they learned to free themselves and step by step are learning to be a modern, democratic leaning nation; learning to be free citizens, learning to govern themselves.
Governance is not easy to learn. Modern economic systems are not easy to deal with. The Irish are still stepping and many are remembering even more. They are quickly learning to be excellent navigators of the economic seas of today. Very turbulent seas indeed.
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R Sheehan