by Chris Black
What is the purpose of an independent Ireland if Ireland is not for the Irish?
It doesn’t even make any sense.
“Irish nationalism” refers to the belief that Ireland should be independent from Britain.
But according to many women in Ireland, the only reason for this independence from Britain is so that Ireland can bring in immigrants even faster than the British.
The language gets confusing.
Mary Lou McDonald has criticised the use of nationalist symbols and language by the far-right in Ireland, saying they are “not republicans”.
The Sinn Féin president was speaking to the Business Post as part of a Christmas interview. Asked what her views were on the far-right co-opting the Irish flag and nationalist language in its campaign against immigration, McDonald said such individuals and groups did not represent true Irish nationalists.
“I would simply say that anybody who understands Irish nationalism, Irish liberation politics, Irish republicanism, will know from its foundations it has always been internationalist in its view.
“It has always been rooted in the human rights of every person irrespective of class, creed, or colour. So I think very narrow expressions, expressions that are discriminatory or just hateful towards any section of the population, by definition aren’t republican,” she said.