Madam, - Four years ago I edited a collection of personal reflections on what being Irish meant to the 100 contributors. The point that engaged the attention in most radio and print reviews was the fact that Ireland was becoming a multicultural society.
In his fine contribution, Bertie Ahern described the challenge facing Ireland of becoming "not just a pluralist society but a multicultural one". He was optimistic that the Irish would meet that challenge. Our best qualities are "natural ability, tolerance, friendliness and sociability and an instinctive egalitarianism and solidarity. . .the dreams of our patriots are finally coming true".
If the proposed constitutional referendum to remove the automatic right to citizenship for children born on the island of Ireland goes ahead it will indicate that the Government considers the Irish people too mean-spirited to rise to the Taoiseach's challenge. In the choice between multiculturalism and homogeneity the referendum is pointing the Irish people towards the latter. It sides with pessimism against optimism; with short-sighted selfishness against welcoming generosity; with second-class citizenship status for people in Northern Ireland against their full inclusion and equality; with the retreat of the nation against its forward march.
The contributors to Being Irish recognised that there are many ways of being Irish. We can be Irish by birth; Irish by ancestry; Irish by geography; Irish by accident; Irish and British at the same time; Irish by association; Irish by culture. The US congressman Bruce Morrison mentioned another way. He is Irish by "choice of allegiance" and describes the magical challenge of raising identity "from the bloodlines of ethnicity to the lifelines of human rights".
That is the challenge facing the Irish people today. - Yours, etc.,
PADDY LOGUE,
Downings,
Co Donegal.