Archive for the ‘Ireland – Emigration and Immigration’ Category
Who are ‘the Irish’? History shows we’ve been a mixed bunch for centuries – Maurice J Casey
Who are ‘the Irish’? History shows we’ve been a mixed bunch for centuries
Introduction :
From the 1800’s to the early 1990’s Ireland was a world champion in one cruel activity – export of its own people. During the Great Hunger [An Gorta Mór in Irish] (Famine) of 1845-49 official figures state the population crashed from 8 million to 6 million : 1 million died and 1 million emigrated. In almost every following decade, the population continued to fall – from 8.2 million in 1841 to 4.2 million in 1961.
People of Irish extraction – the diaspora – are estimated to number 70 million. In 1921 the British imperialist government partitioned Ireland into two states – the republic and the north. The revolution heralded by the 1916 Easter Rising was betrayed.
Today Just over 5 million live in the republic, 2 million reside in the north, and 1.5 million Irish passport holders reside outside Ireland and Britain.
Up to the 1990’s immigration to Ireland existed – in relatively small numbers. The trend then altered significantly.
In the 2020’s the population of Ireland rose to 7 million. This remains below the 1841 figure of 8.2 million – so much for racist claims that Ireland is “full”.
Read the rest of this entry »English Soccer Manager, an Irish citizen, won’t sing “God Save the King” – Daily Mail leads racist tabloid mob – English FA should sack Lee Carsley!
Lee Carsley solidarity campaign starts now!
The former Irish international might accept an offer to co-manage Ireland with the Icelander Heimir Hallgrímsson.
Has far-right racist poison infected English sporting journalism again?
That’s like asking if the Pope is a Catholic.
From the Irish Times, September 7 2024
Lee Carsley might have thought that an inquiry about anthem-singing at his pre-match press conference on Friday was harmless enough. “I fully respect both anthems and understand how much they mean to both countries,” he said. But he has never joined in on the crooning either as a player for Ireland or as manager of the England under-21s because he is “in a zone at that point”, he wants to focus on the match ahead, being “wary” of his mind “wandering off”.
Grand. Moving along … ooooooh, hold it.
Never mind asking God to save the King, it’s Carsley who needs saving from that section of the English press that lost its tiny mind on hearing his comments. It was the lead story – the lead! – on the front page – the front! – of the Telegraph and the Daily Mail, there was a deluge of incandescent opinion pieces, it featured on the news on BBC Radio and LBC and … you get the drift.
Read the rest of this entry »“Sinn Féin’s disaster was the standout story of the weekend’s count” – Cedar Lounge Revolution Blog starts important discussion
Overall, the June 7 2024 Local and European elections in the 26 County bit of Ireland were good news for the ruling coalition elected in February 2020. The Fianna Fáil-Fine Gael-Greens plus Gombeens (FFFGGG) combination scored an important victory, setting them up for a possible return to the seat of government in Dublin’s Leinster House in less than 12 months, when a new general election must happen.
Even worse, due to ominous rising support for Gombeen currents (primarily the Independent Ireland [II]) party and extreme racists, FFFG might be able to dump the Greens and rule on their own – or coalesce with the II gombeens and other toxic racist-right populists.
Read the rest of this entry »Rory Hearne accuses Ciaran Mullooly of ‘hypocrisy’ in scathing attack on the “Independent Ireland” racist party – a wolf in Blueshirt clothes
This is an Irish Independent Story, June 3 2024.
A few ex Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael Dáil Deputies formed Independent Ireland (IIP) recently, led by a man with a famous name, Michael Collins TD (Cork South-West). The 1922 pro-treaty inheritors of the dead Michael Collins legacy went on to establish the failed fascist Blueshirts in the 1930’s led by Fine Gael’s first president Eoin O’Duffy.
The IIP is running two well known broadcasters (Ciarán Mullooly and Niall Boylan) in the European elections.
Social Democrat Euro-Parliament candidate Rory Hearne presents a convincing left-wing anti-racist case against the IIP wolf in Blueshirt clothes.
Rory Hearne accuses Ciaran Mullooly of ‘hypocrisy’ in scathing attack on Independent Ireland
“Why won’t Mullooly and others call for tougher action against the real causes of the housing and homelessness crisis – the vulture funds and corporate landlords locking people out of a home, evicting people and raising the rents?”
Mr Hearn said Independent Ireland offers “no solutions” for the problems that have been caused due to a lack of accommodation.
“The election next week will set the course of Ireland and Europe for many years to come. Are we to turn into a divided society?
“Or are we going to come together and address the real causes of the crises, work on solutions together, and treat migrants and asylum-seekers with the dignity every human being deserves, and see migrants for how they positively contribute to and enrich our country.”
Read the rest of this entry »Struggles for Self-Determination: Ukraine and Palestine Solidarity Discussion
Link :
Ukraine and Palestine: building real solidarity is hard work
A guest post by JOHN LAWRENCE, from the People and Nature Blog hosted by Simon Pirani.
This article is relevant to the European Parliament Election campaign in Ireland and other parts of Europe.
“Genocide is genocide, a mass grave is a mass grave. We are with the people who are in there, and against the people who put them there”, journalist Ed Vulliamy told a discussion meeting in London on Monday.
The Russian invasion of Ukraine, and Israel’s war on Gaza – both of which have settler colonial and genocidal dimensions – had thrown an unusually clear light on the hypocrisy of people who oppose one, but not the other, Vulliamy said.
Marching in London, March 2024. Photos from United Action UK on instagram
In the United Nations, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky abstains over Gaza, and South Africa abstains over Ukraine, Vulliamy said.
“Large sections of the left wonderfully support Gaza but, having denied and justified [the massacre in 1995 of Bosnians by Serb troops at] Srebrenica, at best indulge, or support, Vladimir Putin and his imperial endeavour,” he continued.
Read the rest of this entry »Swastika cut into poster in sinister Far Right threat to socialist candidate – Irish Local and European Elections campaign, 2024 – Safety Measures Urgently Needed
Far-Right agitators in Ireland are escalating their attacks.
Ruth Coppinger, a Solidarity- People Before Profit candidate in Castleknock, and a former Dublin West TD, is the latest target.
Ruth’s press statement below explains the context well, and she makes an excellent proposal :
I am going to make contact with other parties / candidates – in particular those in opposition and on the left who are targeted more by the far right – to suggest that a central log of incidents and threats should be kept in order to take measures for the safety of all those ordinary activists who come out and campaign, as well as community safety in general.
“The far right can’t be allowed to create an atmosphere designed to frighten and to limit the campaigns of the left
Swastika cut into poster in sinister Far Right threat to socialist candidate
A “menacing atmosphere” is being generated by the far right according to a former TD and local election candidate who has had a swastika cut into her image on an election poster. Ruth Coppinger, socialist candidate with People Before Profit-Solidarity in Castleknock ward, Fingal, says supporters found the poster and that “it shows the danger of the far right in these elections, the threat they are to safety and how they would take away democratic rights.”
Read the rest of this entry »Tent City : Racist Inhumanity Stalks Dublin in May 2024
The photographer Chris Reid tells us everything we know about “tent city” in Dublin :
Some views of the ‘Tent City’ that was removed from Mount Street only to regenerate phoenixlike along the banks of the Grand Canal. Both Mount Street and Grand Canal are now fenced off to prevent a return of the tents. I’m wondering where in Dublin ‘Tent City’ will reappear and what other parts of Dublin will consequently become fenced off. The photos were taken on Sunday last, May 5 2024.
Chris Reid highlights tent city in Dublin
The comments on Chris Reid’s facebook page say it all :
Tents were set up at the East Link and Ringsend last night but removed after locals intervened Chris. The problem will just move around.
I didn’t hear about the East Link/Ringsend. I agree, it will move about.
Phoenix Park would be spacious enough! I hope our government will be kind to them
Sure if they’re house-less, they still have to live *somewhere*. Where are they expecting those kicked out to go?
“Patrick Somers, 84, wondered what would happen to people he used to consider neighbours. ‘I feel sorry for them. Wherever they’ve come from, they have to live somewhere’. Somers recalled the taunts he experienced as a labourer in London in the 1960s. ‘They’d say: ‘Go home, Paddy, go home.’ I remember that when I see these poor people’.”
Police dismantle tent city in Dublin – racism in action
in the 60’s pubs in UK had signs displayed saying ‘ no blacks, Irish or dogs allowed’ petered out in the 70’s but the feeling was there.
No country is dealing with the immigrant problem. No one has any policies, hate to think where it will end up for everyone
It’s very sad and not humanitarian. Sweeping one place up and transferring to another, as if they are not humans. They spoiled the Ukrainians and deal with those in a very inhumane way.
I like the old man who make more sense.
They have to sleep somewhere while they are here. Exactly. They cannot make themselves invisible during the night, only because it doesn’t fit an image. I think they should set up in front of the Dail. Or on the front lawns of the politicians and property tycoons. I am sure they have nice big and spacey ones
Phoenix park. Not annoying anyone out there. Bylaws will prevent it. Government has made a complete balls of this.
All those billions in budget surplus yet they can’t build social housing ?
This crisis was caused by racist terrorists, who burned several buildings prepared to accommodate asylum seekers and refugees (in some cases buildings which were not going to be used to house migrants were reduced to ashes).
The state ceased to house people, and the voluntary agency Tiglin tried to fill the gap, by supplying tents.
More about Tiglin :
Tiglin is a registered charity in the Republic of Ireland that helps people overcome addiction, homelessness and other life-controlling issues. We have assisted hundreds of people and their families in improving their lives. This is because we believe and invest in each person’s potential. We work with anyone in need of help. Therefore we get results that benefit the whole of society.
Tiglin provides a variety of social care services, such as street outreach, crisis homeless services, residential rehabilitation programmes, aftercare supports, supported housing, educational opportunities, employment upskilling, and family support for men and women affected by drug and alcohol misuse and frontline services for those seeking international protection.
Our therapeutic programmes take an evidence-based approach to supporting people with life-controlling issues. We also want to equip those in our care with personal and professional skills to help them in the life beyond our care. This means providing life skills and training opportunities ranging from courses in further education courses, qualifying employment certificates, counselling, parenting skills, and family therapy and barista training in our social enterprise café café.
Tiglin Mission and Values
In some cases the state asked Tiglin to take on this job. Then the state sent in diggers and other vehicles which threw the new tents into skips. Migrants moved on to different parts of the city – and arsonist racists threatened them. The state effectively gave the thugs a green light.
This madness must cease.
John Meehan May 10 2024
Tomás Ó Flatharta 