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The Dubliner staged a debate about Irish identity, when else but on the eve of Paddy’s Day; where else but lovely Liberty Hall. Our foreign correspondent Kevin Bronk was there
Most of us have a think about our national identity in March. But this year it was extra hard not to, what with the double whammy of St Patrick’s Day and U2’s new album – their handsome Dublin mugs were everywhere you looked. So what better time than March 16th to discuss what it means to be Irish at a panel discussion in Liberty Hall hosted by the best damn magazine in town? (That’s us, by the way.)
The good people at Hennessy, who are very proud of their Irish roots, jumped onboard, providing a free drinks reception afterwards. But before we could toast this great nation, we had to figure out what this great nation is all about in 2009. “What is it that makes us proud to be Irish?” asked Eamon Keane, NewsTalk presenter and chair for the evening. “Many of you are familiar with the sight of grown women crying on the streets of Dublin,” Keane continued. “Crying because they’re unable to buy Crème de la Mer anti-aging cream. That’s what it’s come to in this country.”
Sadly, the panel didn’t work out asolution to the current economic mess, but to be fair, not even the combined powers of Barack Obama and Brian Cowen can do that. “We seem to have gone from an agricultural, rural nation to being this post-modernist IT country. We missed out on our whole adolesence, and now we’ve crashed,” offered panelist Carol Hunt of the Sunday Independent. “But that’s not actually such a bad thing. Now we have to stop, but we can decide exactly what we want to be in the future.”
Hunt thinks Ireland is in its “early-20s”, still trying to figure out exactly what it is, what it wants to do. That idea really got the panel going. “It’s time for us to stumble and remember who we are,” said Irish Independent columnist Ian O’Doherty, raising a stiff fist of conviction. “We have to look in the mirror and collectively check ourselves. Let’s not become the country we think we are, but who we hope we can be.”
GAA legend Brian Mullins, writer Ulick O’Connor and comedienne Anne Gildea engaged in the argument. After nearly an hour of our panel weighing in on the matter, the crowd, made up in equal parts of Irish and foreigners, was given the opportunity to pose their own questions and bark their own opinions.
A gentleman in the crowd from the Philippines shifted the tone of the discussion by asking what it takes to be Irish, and what room there is for true immigration into Ireland and its culture.
“Speaking on behalf of my people –the non-nationals of Ireland – there is a confidence in being Irish and in that Irish identity,” answered our very own Managing Editor, Paul Trainer, a proud Scotsman, “that sometimes means there’s a lack of acknowledgment of the fact that people can feel Irish who have no blood ties to this country. But they identify with something at the heart of this country, and that’s something that must be encouraged.” Hear hear!
The next day saw thousands of pints of green beer pulled, and even more oversized novelty hats. But figuring out who we are isn’t going to happen overnight. Even with the help of Hennessy.
Most of us have a think about our national identity in March. But this year it was extra hard not to, what with the double whammy of St Patrick’s Day and U2’s new album – their handsome Dublin mugs were everywhere you looked. So what better time than March 16th to discuss what it means to be Irish at a panel discussion in Liberty Hall hosted by the best damn magazine in town? (That’s us, by the way.)
The good people at Hennessy, who are very proud of their Irish roots, jumped onboard, providing a free drinks reception afterwards. But before we could toast this great nation, we had to figure out what this great nation is all about in 2009. “What is it that makes us proud to be Irish?” asked Eamon Keane, NewsTalk presenter and chair for the evening. “Many of you are familiar with the sight of grown women crying on the streets of Dublin,” Keane continued. “Crying because they’re unable to buy Crème de la Mer anti-aging cream. That’s what it’s come to in this country.”
Sadly, the panel didn’t work out asolution to the current economic mess, but to be fair, not even the combined powers of Barack Obama and Brian Cowen can do that. “We seem to have gone from an agricultural, rural nation to being this post-modernist IT country. We missed out on our whole adolesence, and now we’ve crashed,” offered panelist Carol Hunt of the Sunday Independent. “But that’s not actually such a bad thing. Now we have to stop, but we can decide exactly what we want to be in the future.”
Hunt thinks Ireland is in its “early-20s”, still trying to figure out exactly what it is, what it wants to do. That idea really got the panel going. “It’s time for us to stumble and remember who we are,” said Irish Independent columnist Ian O’Doherty, raising a stiff fist of conviction. “We have to look in the mirror and collectively check ourselves. Let’s not become the country we think we are, but who we hope we can be.”
GAA legend Brian Mullins, writer Ulick O’Connor and comedienne Anne Gildea engaged in the argument. After nearly an hour of our panel weighing in on the matter, the crowd, made up in equal parts of Irish and foreigners, was given the opportunity to pose their own questions and bark their own opinions.
A gentleman in the crowd from the Philippines shifted the tone of the discussion by asking what it takes to be Irish, and what room there is for true immigration into Ireland and its culture.
“Speaking on behalf of my people –the non-nationals of Ireland – there is a confidence in being Irish and in that Irish identity,” answered our very own Managing Editor, Paul Trainer, a proud Scotsman, “that sometimes means there’s a lack of acknowledgment of the fact that people can feel Irish who have no blood ties to this country. But they identify with something at the heart of this country, and that’s something that must be encouraged.” Hear hear!
The next day saw thousands of pints of green beer pulled, and even more oversized novelty hats. But figuring out who we are isn’t going to happen overnight. Even with the help of Hennessy.
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