No Ordinary Fool

One of the remarks that gets made a lot whenever the debate over immigration comes up is that allowing too many immigrants into Ireland to live will change the “Irish identity”. It is always said with such gravitas that you could easily be mistaken into believing that our identity has remained unchanged for centuries and it is only now with people from other countries coming here in the hope of a better life that we are suddenly in danger of having it altered.

As James Joyce would have it, “shite and onions!”

Here are the seven things that have altered Irish identity the most over the past three decades. They are listed in a loose chronologcal order and do overlap to some degree. However, as you can see, net immigration into this country is not included as one of them.

(1) The US and European social and counterculture revolutions of the 1960s

(2) Being able to afford television sets

(3) Joining the EEC (now the EU)

(4) The Northern Irish troubles & peace process

(5) The Internet

(6) The Celtic Tiger economic boom

(7) Abuse and corruption scandals involving our traditional “pillars of society”

I would categorise the effects of these changes as making us a less conservative, God-fearing, trusting, innocent, and pleasant society. We have become more affluent, worldly, travelled, and informed over the years. Our moral values have changed, our social values have changed. We are a more confident people, we are a less neighbourly people.

In other words, Irish identity is really quite a dynamic concept. As it changes, there will always be its proponents and opponents. Sometimes it will happen quickly, sometimes slowly. The changes can be very apparent, they can be quite subtle. Yet, whatever way you carve it up, the changes keep on happening!

Naturally, our identity is being and will continue to be changed to some extent by having a population with more varied cultural backgrounds living here. However, it will be one of many things that will create the identity and society that Irish people have tomorrow. After all, there really is nothing set in stone about who we are. Nor should there be.