The Priceless Emerald

 

I grew up in England, which ensured that I’d have a soft spot for the Irish. The image of the Irish as presented in an English Bording school in the 90s was twofold. The Northern Irish, or at least the Catholic Ones, were presented as “terrorist bastards,” and when I once spoke too fast and slurred the word “Irish Hit Squad,” the teacher in charge called it an “appropriate description.” Then, there was the more benign image, which was that of lovable buffoons who are rather fond of their drink.

This image of the Irish that I was presented at school, reflected a view of the Anglo-Irish relationship as one between siblings. The English saw themselves as the smarter, more successful sibling. Even after decades of independence, the Irish migrated to London to find work.

What many English (a fault which the people with the power) people tend to forget is that the many Irish people see history a little differently. The Irish who moved to America carried stories of resentment against “British Imperialism” and ended up funding the IRA. Closer to home, the Irish in Ireland tended to be more tempered, especially since Ireland became the “Celtic Tiger” and the British shot themselves in the foot by voting Brexit. However, if you’ve ever watched a rugby match between England and Ireland at Lansdowne Road, its very clear that the importance of beating England goes beyond the rugby pitch.

Like all good younger siblings, the Irish have a special dislike for the older siblings most prominent moment. If the British talk about their empire on which the sun never set, the Irish are proud opponents of colonialism.

Thanks to the conflict in Gaza, Ireland has managed to make its mark as a nation in the West that something the rest of the Western world clearly does not have – moral courage. Whilst much of Western Europe has seen a rise in far-right extremist, the Irish have stood out. This once devout catholic nation elected an openly gay man of Indian descent as Prime Minister whilst the rest of the Western world gets its knickers in a twist over whether we should allow repressed homosexuals to decide how many genders there are.

The Irish, along with the Spanish and Norwegians stand out for recognizing the independence of the Palestinian people whilst the rest of the Western world talks about freedom of the Israelis to commit murder. The refusal to speak Israels propaganda line at the UN has resulted in the closure of the Israeli embassy in Ireland. One only has to look at the following remark from Irish President, Mr. Michael D. Higgins to see how Ireland stands out:

 

 I notice that whenever I mention Israel-Gaza, most of the Westerners I know will try to fob me off with the lines “Oh it’s complicated.” I remember mentioning my support for the Irish position on Palestine to Irishmen and his reply was “How can you not be when you see what’s happening to those kids.” This view isn’t limited to an individual. Irish MP’s have raised the issue in ways that no one else in the Western World has:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H21edCN3Q7c

 

 You got to respect this small island for sticking up for what’s right. When the Israelis wanted to move into Lebanon, the Irish peacekeepers refused to move to allow the Israelis the freedom to bombard Lebanon. Irish history, it seems, is all about fighting for the underdog:

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/lebanon-un-peacekeepers-irish-unifil-hezbollah-israel-b2629971.html

 

 If the Western world wants to show the rest of us that its worthy of global leadership, they should look no further than the Irish. The Irish have shown that the qualities of being admired have nothing to do with military or economic might but courage and the willingness to do what’s right. The value of that Emerald Isle it seems is priceless.