OUR headline story on the Martin O’Neill biography confirms two things: that living in Britain during the IRA bombing campaigns was difficult; but today, being Irish in Britain is likely to be a positive experience.
Of course the two are linked — once the IRA bombing campaign in Britain ceased, matters improved for the Irish community.
However the story is more complex than that. Until approximately the end of the 1980s, few British people without family connections in Ireland ever ventured there.
The average British person’s knowledge of Ireland was negligible. Slowly, however, small cultural and commercial changes took place.
Ryanair’s cheap flights to Dublin undoubtedly helped, but so did U2, Jackie Charlton, the Pogues and even Ballykissangel all contributed to building up an image of Ireland as a desirable destination.
Meanwhile the situation for most of the Irish in Britain steadily improved to the extent that today the highest-earning civil servant in Britain is a Laois man.
Our story about John Fingleton also includes the information that the Irish have made it into British boardrooms in astounding numbers.
Some people have been left behind, however: the homeless, the elderly, the poor.
The Irish Post will continue to campaign for those people.
But in the meantime let us rejoice that the Irish community in Britain has never been stronger, and relations between British and Irish people have seldom been better.
Governments should never act like terrorists
DURING the Suez crisis in 1956, President Eisenhower called British prime minister Anthony Eden with the opening line: “I can only presume you have gone out of your mind.”
It’s a message someone should convey to the Israeli government, which seems to be growing progressively more dysfunctional.
Even before this latest blockade crisis, the Israeli government was showing increasing paranoia.
They openly insulted Joe Biden, the vice president of its greatest ally, the USA.
During his visit, the Israeli authorities announced the construction of more Jewish settlements on the West Bank, in direct contravention of US policy.
Then Mossad, it is alleged, assassinated a Hamas official, Mahmoud al-Mabhouh in Dubai.
This involved the use of forged passports of several countries ‘friendly’ to Israel, including Ireland.
But before we rush to condemn Israel out of hand we should remember that out of about 30 or so countries in the Middle East, it is one of the few where you might reasonably live comfortably were you a woman, a Christian, a writer, a trades unionist, a gay or an atheist, or a member of any other minority.
Further, Israel is bordered by several countries whose avowed aim is the destruction of the country.
What Israel needs is to be reminded that it is a democracy and cannot, therefore, afford to act like a terrorist organisation.
We saw what happened in the North of Ireland when the British government did exactly that, leading to an appalling spiral of violence.
It took four decades to eventually sort it out; it is doubtful if the Middle East has the luxury of 40 years to stave off all out war.
Israel should act now, remove its controversial blockade, and begin acting legally.