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DURING THE 1960s two of Nigeria’s three Catholic archbishops were Irish, as were more than 60% of the priests in that country.
Irish clergy ran primary schools catering for more than half a million students, as well as overseeing 47 hospitals.
With such a significant relationship there and in other parts of Africa, it is hardly surprising that many Nigerians and other Africans came to Ireland to study.
Their experience was not always one of great welcome.
‘Badly beaten outside dancehalls’
Some met with racism but complaints about this reported in Irish newspapers were mostly described as unwarranted attacks on Ireland’s reputation for hospitality.
On 20 August 1964 the Irish Times reported that a Nigerian judge Mr L. Oluodun Fadipe had compiled a list of 25 incidents against ‘coloured students’ in Dublin, some of which had resulted in serious injury.
These included an attack on 9 November 1963 in which Patrick Udenze, a Nigerian student at University College Dublin lost an eye due to the injuries he sustained.
Other attacks targetted an Indian woman doctor, while there was an assault on an ‘Indian girl’ who was with an ‘Irish boy’, both of whom were students at Trinity and several incidents in which Nigerian students were badly beaten outside dancehalls.
‘Few isolated attacks’
Following a meeting with the Nigerian Ambassador to Ireland, the Minister for External Affairs Frank Aiken, issued a strongly-worded statement expressing grave concern at “the accusations of racial prejudice against the Irish people and against the Irish police in particular, on the strength of a few isolated attacks on overseas students”.
According to the Minister’s statement there were some 1,200 overseas students in Ireland and he wished to assure the parents of these that they would enjoy the full protection of the authorities from “any manifestations in Ireland of the wave of youthful rowdyism which had recently become prevalent in the large industrial cities in the world”.
The article failed to mention that Dublin was not such an industrial city.
The same edition of the Irish Times also published a piece on how racism affected the self-esteem of black children in the United States and claimed that this explained, in part, their apathy and the inability of American negroes to escape poverty. What such racist stereotypes had to do with the experiences of middle-class black African university students in Ireland was not addressed.
Racism taken less seriously now than the 1960s
Two nineteen year old men were arrested for the attack on Charles Fadipe but it was determined that there was insufficient evidence to proceed with the charges.
An Irish Times editorial described the Nigerian press coverage of the assaults as unbalanced and Ireland as broadly welcoming to African and Asian students.
It concluded that little could be done to make awkward landladies (a tacit admission of housing discrimination against such students) or the population in general treat coloured students with respect except through education and Christian charity.
The editorial also inferred that the attacks had something to do with ‘rows over girls’. Another article published a week later quoted Vincent Browne, the vice-president of UCD’s student union, as saying that a large majority of cases had not occurred in dancehalls and had not involved women.
During the last few years several reports have presented evidence that racism is part of to day-to-day life for black immigrants and African Irish. Yet the Irish government has not had an anti-racism policy since 2008 since the organisation responsible for this, the National Consultative Committee on Racism and Interculturalism (NCCRI) was closed down.
For all intents and purposes, evidence of racism presented by NGOs and set out in research by academics is taken less seriously than during the early 1960s. At least those complaints were acknowledged by the then government.
Bryan Fanning is Professor of Migration and Social Policy at University College Dublin. His new book Migration and the Making of Ireland, published by UCD Press will be launched in Books Upstairs on Wednesday 7 March at 6.30pm.
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It is high time that everyone, absolutely everyone in society recognise that Mná na hÉireann hold up half the sky.
What are our gardai doing to protect our women from violent individuals as this
Our gardai need more resources and manpower this is happening to much in our society
@Richarddoherty: We need whole scale reform of our justice laws in general where dangerous individuals don’t get freed on bail as soon as they commit crimes and when they do get to court, that they don’t get away with lenient sentences. How often have we seen perpetrators of violent acts such as this having multiple previous convictions, yet free to go about their business? This horrific murder should be the impetus for real change where people are not afraid to walk or run alone on our roads and streets. Yes bring in education from an early age, but unfortunately it won’t have an immediate effect if nothing else is done in addition to it.
@Richarddoherty: do you know something nobody else does?
@Richarddoherty: the Gardaí can’t be everywhere. They aren’t the problem, it’s happening too much because of men thinking they can assault and harrass women whenever they feel like it. Women should be able to go for a run, or a walk, or do whatever the hell they want without feeling unsafe or like they might need the help of a guard.
@Longlin: Sherlock Longlin’s cracked it already. Rounded up all the usual suspects and waterboarded them until a couple confessed. Next.
@Richarddoherty: Can you tell Michael Tormeys family that he doesn’t matter and the Garda should be doing more to protect women.
@Sam Harms: because there aren’t enough of them. I live in southern Spain and have never driven more than 20 minutes without seeing a police car. I lived 50 years in Ireland and saw no more than 25 check points. I drove at least 50 miles a day
@Ian James Burgess: more guards isn’t going to stop men assaulting women. The only thing that can stop that is a change in attitude. More guards isn’t going to stop men shouting and whistling at women walking down the street, or grabbing them in a bar. We shouldn’t need a guard on every street to make us feel safe.
@Sam Harms: You are mixing up men who show disrespect to women and men who murder women. They are two very different things. Men who murder women have serious mental health issues. Usually, this come from childhood abuse of some form. Google any physco killer and look at their background. If I was with Charles Mason in a bar and he said some derogatory about a woman, me calling him up on it was never going to stop him killing women. He killed women because his mother sold him for beer. Its mental health services and better sentencing that needs to be looked at, don’t be blaming millions of innocent men. If a woman kills her children in her own home do people say, women do better? They certainly do not, there would be uproar. they would say why didn’t she get the help she needed.
@Fandandi: and by the way, I’m not saying men shouldn’t do better in terms of respecting women in general, that needs to happen, I’m saying it won’t stop random killings on any gender
@Richarddoherty: can you imagine being a Guard. Arrest a t.h.u.g. for the 50th time. Go to court. Solicitor appointed for free legal aid. Solicitor presents a case the poor individual has had it tough… soft or suspended sentence… utterly deflating for the Gaurd.
May she rest in peace
I couldn’t make a vigil today, but there in spirit. Absolutely heartbreaking stuff. I’m glad the country showed up. I hope the all those who need to hear it and who think everyday cat calling and harassment or stand by silently as their mates do it. are listening carefully. Their time is up. We need action on every front now – 14% of rapes in Ireland make it to court – 14% of women have faced violence in the home. The women of Ireland are angry, scared and exhausted. When will it change?
@Lucy Legacy: There are vigils being held across the country tomorrow: https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=2714251528881837&id=1808278706145795
@Lucy Legacy: why do people feel the need to create a divide between the genders? The women of Ireland are angry etc etc. You think the 99% of men in Ireland who would never even consider hurting a woman aren’t also disgusted with what happened? Do people think it’s helpful to casually pass blame onto someone because of their gender?
@Stephen Foster: this attitude by the keyboard warriors on their high horses has ensured a man’s life has been wrecked because of the level of ineptitude by the Gardai regarding the questioning of an innocent person. People are so willing to hate an individual or element of society if it seems everyone else is. Gotta love groupthink.
@Stephen Foster: The known figures of how many women (children, and vulnerable others) have been harassed, (sexually) assaulted, and murdered clearly shows it is not “99% of men in Ireland who would never consider hurting a woman”. The actual real figure is too uncomfortable for people, because then they would have to own their (past) behaviour and/or the actions of those they thought they could trust.
@Felicity Hensen: what is the real figure ?
@Stephen Foster: exactly my son was attacked randomly had his face slashed guards didn’t entertain it but if he was female would more have been done devastated over what happened this poor lady and hope her killer will be got but I fear with this outpour against violence against women what’s going to happen if a woman feels uncomfortable because my son looked the wrong way innocently and he gets hauled in our younger generation of boys will be terrified to approach a woman to ask her out on a date
@Felicity Hensen: no parent should lose their child to murder no matter what gender they are no child should be murdered no woman should be murdered no man should be murdered it’s all over the board and I’m actually sick over this beautiful lady been murdered but it actually happens every day in this country and gender
dosent matter
@Felicity Hensen: what is the figure felicity and what are you saying.
@Felicity Hensen: you cannot conflate wolf whistling with murder. These are two separate issues.
Typical f journal no comment s allowed on the government ill make sure the real voters know what the journal are at
Was an emotional evening in Ennischrone Co sligo. A huge thank you to the local business that supported the vigil like pudding row easky, Joe queenan local council representative, waterfront restaurant ennischrone, EK photocare ballina, Blooms and Things Florists ballina, David McGowan funeral director, Karina hallinan, Michael McGowan & Fr Gerry for mass and ballads Claire hannon local resident, Peter regan local resident, local GAA club, enniscrone anglers, Midwest & today fm for advertising on the radio and to everyone who attended. The shrine will be there over the weekend so if your around please keep the candles burning. The book of condolences will be available in ennischrone Church over the weekend for anyone whom couldn’t attend this evening. May she rest in peace
I think it’s pathetic that Sinn Fein are posting footage of vigils for Aishling Murphy and condemning violence against women when they refuse to address the Jean McConville case. Let’s hear from Mary Lou how the IRA murdered a Mother and dumped her body and left the family in torment for decades. The IRA didn’t care about sex when it came to their victims but are now trying to use the sex car by having females leading the party. Would somebody please ask Mary Lou and Michelle O Neill how they can campaign for women’s right knowing what their party has don in the past.
We need to trust women in the running of their safe spaces and stop allowing men to shout them down
They removed my comments, I have never ever seen so much hypocrisy!
Lowest of the low.
You people are not journalists!
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