Dubs Don’t Care

THE only thing more amazing about the Loyalist march in Dublin last month is the reaction of the Irish people!

Is it acceptable for the Loyalists from the north of Ireland, who have been discriminating against Catholics in jobs, housing and voting for many, many years, to parade through the largely Catholic capital of Dublin and to expect total acceptance by the Irish people?

Are the Dublin Irish so complacent and smug in their newfound wealth and jobs that they are indifferent to this? This seems to be the case and it saddens me to see it.

I don’t propose that they should have joined the rioters, but at least show some objection to the March.

Parades generally have a cause to celebrate or commemorate, or to pay tribute to some outstanding figure in some walk of life. What was the purpose of this parade? Does anybody know or care? The Dubliners seem to be more upset at the prospect of a negative reaction to tourism rather than any objection to the parade.

What would they have thought if Ian Paisley led the parade? Would they even have notice?

Go raibh maith agat!

Mae Sullivan

Media, Pennsylvania

Dual March Proposal

PLEASE allow me to present a modest proposal. A totally original and dual venue proposal to be exact.

Why don’t we organize a dual march and demonstration? We could have Orangemen and Loyalists march down O’Connell Street in Dublin, and at the same time have the White Aryan Nation march down Lenox Avenue in Harlem.

Given the tolerant nature of most people, I wouldn’t suspect there’d be any trouble. Would you?

Naturally, with people too busy shopping and such to take notice, the Irish police and the NYPD would only need to maintain a low profile presence.

But, in the unlikely event that some malcontented ruffians should show up to spoil the day at each of these respective sites, no problem. Your resident gadfly, John Spain — whom I often suspect is kept on the Irish Voice payroll strictly for the purpose of keeping the letters to the editor pot stirred up — could then take immeasurable delight in blaming it all on Sinn Fein.

Martin Ames

Parkton, Maryland

Don’t Link FOIF, ILIR

IN last week’s issue, Sean O’Driscoll wrote that while ILIR cannot march in this year’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade on Fifth Avenue, Noraid and Friends of Irish Freedom (FOIF) have been given permission.

Huh? What has Noraid and FOIF marching in the parade got to do with the ILIR marching on St. Patrick’s Day? I wonder if Mr. O’Driscoll could explain what he means when he says Friends Of Irish Freedom “has also been cleared to march”?

What is he talking about? Why mention FOIF in his article at all?

FOIF first marched in the St. Patrick’s Day Parade in New York City in 1916! O’Driscoll implies there was some question as to FOIF being allowed to march …. well, there was/is no such question.

FOIF is like any AOH division or county organization, band unit, or any group, we affiliate every year just like everybody else. My guess is that O’Driscoll has been prompted to further cause trouble for, or try to injure Friends of Irish Freedom, where Irish Voice Publisher Niall O’Dowd failed.

So enlighten us, Mr. O’Driscoll — why wouldn’t Noraid or FOIF be allowed to march this year or any other year? Because right now you are sounding very foolish.

Why single out Noraid and FOIF? Do you have a problem with Noraid and FOIF marching? Don’t worry — we can guess!

Cathleen O’Brien

Bronx, New York

Our People Are Special

I JUST finished reading John Spain’s column on the lack of sympathy in Ireland for the undocumented Irish here in America. Apparently, hypocrisy is alive and well in the old country.

When Ireland was called a Third World nation not so long ago, those left in Ireland were 100% behind those who immigrated here, legal or not. The ones who left sent home money that kept the ones back in Ireland going when things were really tight.

Now things are going well there, and you have people immigrating to Ireland. It would seem the shoe is on the other foot, and the other foot is not so happy about it.

It’s sad that this is reflected in a lack of compassion for their own who are making a life here in America. Apparently, they want them to come home so that Ireland won’t have to put up with all those immigrants.

So, immigration was a good thing when they needed it, but bad when they don’t. Hmmm.

The fact of the matter is, Irish immigrants helped build this country. Irish and Irish Americans helped build the railroads, and the tunnels, and the skyscrapers of New York.

They’ve served in the military, the police departments, the fire departments and in the clergy. They’ve scrubbed floors and minded children. They died in the Twin Towers.

The blood, sweat and tears of many generations of our people were spent on this soil. America is what it is today in good part because of the Irish.

The Irish should be allowed to come here and stay if they so desire, not to escape poverty as in the past, but because they have much to offer and this is an amazing place to live — either for a little while or for the rest of your life.

Those already here give much more to this country than they take. Immigration is a very thorny problem, but unlike those Mr. Spain refers to, I do believe that the Irish deserve to be treated with special consideration. They have earned it — repeatedly.

On Sunday, March 5 I had the pleasure of volunteering at Gaelic Park for the New York GAA sponsored fundraiser for the Irish Lobby for Immigration Reform. I was quite frankly amazed at the turnout, and even more so at the age of those who attended.

It wasn’t, as I had expected, the older people and those who’ve been settled here for quite awhile. It was for the most part twentysomethings.

I happen to believe that these young people should have the same immigration opportunities as the generations before, and I have full confidence that like those who went before them, they will be an asset to this country. They deserve to be supported by those of us here, and also by those in Ireland.

Our history demands that we stand behind our Irish immigrants when they need our support.

Mary O’Sullivan

Yonkers, New York

Proud to Be Irish

WHAT a great day for the Irish in Washington, D.C., last Wednesday, and all credit to the Irish Lobby for Immigration Reform (ILIR) organizers.

It was electrifying to be in that room in the Holiday Inn for the political rally, and everyone saw what being Irish is all about. They should be very proud of themselves.

The speakers were brilliant, and I have to say that anyone looking down from the stage must have witnessed a well behaved albeit loud collection of dynamic and ambitious individuals — people that can only be good for America.

It was great to see groups from Philly, San Fran, Boston and New York mingle and have a great time. With chants of “Ole, Ole” drifting through the air one could have closed his eyes and thought he was back in Stuttgart in the good old days of Irish soccer. Hillary and Ted were definitely lovin’ it.

Congressman Joe Crowley has a great voice and certainly didn’t come close to emptying the room, so ILIR Chairman Niall O’Dowd was wrong on that account, probably the only time he was wrong all day.

The immigration situation is broken and it has to be fixed, and as Ciaran Staunton said we are more than halfway there. Others will be taking our lead, so stay the course.

As I stated in a previous letter we are definitely on to something here. Tiocfaidh ar la.

Dessie Coogan

Astoria, New York