10 Reasons We’re Still Proud to be Irish

It’s been a tough week to be Irish – with the shame of being forced to go cap in hand to the EU and IMF, effectively handing over our economic sovereignty for the next few years. But there are some things that the IMF money-men can’t touch. And as Vincent Murphy reports, there are still plenty of reasons to stay positive.

The Irish Landscape

Long after Ajai Chopra and his friends from the IMF are gone home, and long after the loans they give us are repaid, the Cliffs of Moher will still be standing tall on the coast of County Clare. Just as they always have done. The beautiful Killarney lakes will still nestle in the Kerry Mountains.  The Giant’s Causeway will continue to inspire wonder among those who travel to the Antrim coastline. And the rugged beauty of Connemara will still provide sanctuary. Regardless of the tough times ahead, or what fiscal parameters are put in place, Ireland will remain one of the most beautiful patches of land on the entire planet.  With rugged coastlines, forty shades of green, and picture postcard vistas throughout the land, who could fail to be proud of belonging to such a country.

Peace

Ireland is at peace. Sometimes it’s easy to forget the enormity of the Northern Irish peace process. Not long ago, when Ireland hit the international headlines, it was because of murder, bombs and war. Now, it’s because of bond yields, sovereign debt and bank capitalisation. Which one would you prefer to be reading about? The IRA has not only ceased fire, it has decommissioned all its weapons. The Good Friday Agreement in 1998 remains an inspiration to others trying to negotiate peace around the world. And despite the continued threat from dissidents, a power-sharing government in Belfast, where Gerry Adams’ Sinn Fein and Ian Paisley’s DUP form a coalition, deals with the regular political issues with which every other normal government grapples. The tit-for-tat killings are part of history. If Ireland can get through the Troubles, we can survive some economic difficulties.

Our Sporting Heroes

For such a small population, Ireland punches above its weight in the world of sport. And no-one punches better than Katie Taylor (pictured) from Bray in Co Wicklow. She is a three-time World boxing champion, five-time European champion, and has twice been named by her peers as World Female Boxer of the year. And she is still only 24. Oh, and she plays international soccer for Ireland too. Taylor is just one of hundreds of sports stars who provide inspiration and hope for Ireland in the toughest of times.  We have some of the world’s top golfers: Graham McDowell, US Open champion 2010 and the man who clinched the Ryder Cup for Europe, Rory McIllroy, and Padraig Harrington. We have top quality soccer players in the English Premier League:  Shay Given, Kevin Doyle, Robbie Keane and young Seamus Coleman, whose breakthrough at Everton has been one of Irish sports stories of the year. There is the inspirational force that is Munster Rugby, the genius of Leinster and Irish centre Brian O’Driscoll, one of the world’s greatest players. There is the magic of the All Ireland Hurling and Football championships and the indescribable contribution the amateur GAA makes in every community around the country. There’s athlete Derval O’Rourke, cyclist Nicholas Roche, jockey Tony McCoy and... well ,this list could go on for pages. These are just the sports men and women who have inspired the country this year, and they provide hope and promise for years to come.

The Rest of our Economy

What do Google, Facebook, Linkedin, Dell, and Intel have in common? They all have their European headquarters in Ireland. The country is not just a hub for some of the world’s biggest IT companies, it also plays host to some of the planet’s biggest pharmaceutical (eg Pfizer and Wyeth)and medical device companies (nine of the top 10 global medical device companies have a manufacturing base in Ireland).  Take away the disaster zone of our banks and construction sector, and all things considered, the rest of our economy is not doing too badly.  Exports in September were 4% higher than last year.  In 1990 our exports were worth €18 billion. Today they are worth €84 billion. If you read the international papers right now, you might get the impression that everyone is packing their bags to emigrate. And, of course, unemployment is unacceptably high at 14%. But there are still 1.85 million people who go out to work every day in Ireland.  That workforce is young, educated and entrepreneurial.  Things are tough, but we’ll roll up our sleeves and get on with it.

Irish Music

U2 are probably still the biggest rock band in the world (their taxes may be Dutch, but Bono and the lads are still unmistakably Irish!). Enya has sold more than 70 million records over the past two decades. There are new pretenders like The Script and Snow Patrol. And there are few countries where you will not hear Sinead O’Connor, Van Morrison, Westlife or The Cranberries on the jukebox. Irish artists, from pop to rock, from trad to folk have made their mark on the world stage, and will continue to do so.

The Irish Pub

What are you having yourself? A creamy pint of Guinness or a small dram of Irish whiskey? Ok, we Irish might have a reputation for being a bit boozy (even our Taoiseach made headlines around the world recently for doing a radio interview with a hangover). But the truth is, when the craic is good, there is nowhere in the world quite like an Irish pub. And there is nowhere in the world you won’t find one.  There’s “Irish Pub” in Kathmandu, and “Connemara Pub” in Bordeaux. From Paddy O’Shea’s in Beijing to Kilkenny’s in Buenos Aires, an Irish bar is a by-word for a good time. Of course there are none better than the ones in Ireland itself – with impromptu trad sessions or late night sing-songs.  Cheer up, have a pint.

Storytelling

Ireland is a powerhouse of literature, theatre, poetry and cinema. Our ability to tell a story and engage an audience is legendary and for a country our size, disproportionately influential. From classics like James Joyce’s Ulysses, Bram Stoker’s Dracula and Jonathon Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels to modern award winners like Frank McCourt, Colum McCann, Joseph O’Neill, Roddy Doyle and Colm Toibin, Irish authors are respected internationally. In theatre, we have a strong tradition from Oscar Wilde, to Samuel Beckett, to Brian Friel and Martin McDonagh.  Our poets from William Butler Yeats to Seamus Heaney have captured the age they live in. And our modern filmmakers like Oscar winners Jim Sheridan and Neil Jordan, have brought Irish tales to a global audience.  We’re the country who produced Maureen O’Hara, Colin Farrell, Brendan Gleeson, Liam Neeson and Gabriel Byrne.  Our storytellers, in all art forms, will continue to provide escapism, inspiration and a mirror to ourselves.

Our ability to Laugh

Sometimes all you can do is laugh. On the day the IMF arrived in Dublin last week, the jokes were already circulating on the internet. One showed a fake property listing with the entire country up for sale.  “€900bn o.n.o” it says, “In need of some refurbishing.” It said to contact Brian Cowen. Another was a newspaper death notice for Ireland. “Eire 1922-2010 (after a terminal illness bravely borne) predeceased by her founding fathers Arthur (Griffith) and Michael (Collins), survived by her grieving 4.3m children. Removal from Cowen and Lenihan’s funeral home to the Church of the IMF.”  The one thing you can always count on from the Irish – we will try to see the funny side of it all. Last week, a festival was held in Kilkenny called Kilkenomics. It was jointly organised by economist David McWilliams and comedy festival organiser Richard Cooke. It featured a mix of comedians and economists debating Ireland’s plight, and how it all went wrong. It was a sell-out smash.  “Ireland needs a new credit rating agency. Moody and Poor”, said one comedian Colm O’Regan.  The day we lose the ability to laugh in the face of adversity, is the day to start worrying.

Our Simple Pleasures

There are some things you need to be Irish to fully appreciate or understand. Tayto crisps or Red Lemonade, for example. Why there is nothing tastier first thing in the morning than the full Irish breakfast washed down by a cup of Barry’s Tea. Tuning into your local radio station at 10am to hear the death notices being read out.  How, despite annual evidence to the contrary, we can convince ourselves that we will have a summer of sunshine, just because we get two weeks of nice weather in May. Our wide range of accents, which differ from county to county, despite how small the country is. Waving hello to strangers on a country road. No matter what tough medicine the IMF prescribe, day-to-day the Irish way of life will go on with all its idiosyncrasies and charms.

Our Proud Diaspora

Over 70 million people around the world claim to have some Irish heritage. That’s a hell of a lot of friends to have. All you have to do is look at the international outpouring of pride that accompanies St Patrick’s Day around the world every year. Green hair, green rivers, green milkshakes – can you think of any other country that inspires such devotion! You can travel anywhere in the world, and chances are you will find someone Irish. From the Great Famine, to the mass emigration of the 1980s, Ireland’s sons and daughters have dispersed around the world in numbers. Nowhere is this truer than in the United States. Ireland’s international reputation has been damaged by recent events. But the fight back starts here. If every one of those 70 million friends stands up for our country, and re-asserts our pride in all things Irish, then the future is bright.

(A version of this article appears in the November 23rd issue of Irish Examiner USA)