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LAST WEEK, Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore presented Hollywood superstar Tom Cruise with a Certificate of Irish Heritage in Dublin. These government-issued certificates are available to all people around the world who can establish Irish ancestry at a cost of €45. Cruise was here for the premiere of his new film, Oblivion. His visit attracted significant media attention and adoring fans greeted him at every chance during the 24 hours he spent in Ireland. Many were also amused, or bemused, by the news that Tom Cruise is of Irish descent.
Indeed, Tom Cruise’s Irish ancestry, which goes all the way back to Strongbow, was confirmed by expert genealogists commissioned by Tourism Ireland as part of The Gathering, the now well-known initiative to attract the far-flung Irish diaspora back “home” in 2013. I suspect that most Irish people regard The Gathering as a well-intentioned, relatively benign idea – or at the very least say “why not?”
The Gathering has the potential simultaneously to help reconnect those who left with those who’ve stayed and to provide a badly needed boost to the local and national economies. A not-insignificant and rather vocal minority, however, are exceedingly cynical about and/or outright oppose The Gathering. Related doubts and critiques were expressed in a variety of different ways last week after people saw Tom Cruise beaming with his new certificate of Irishness.
What ignites hostility to seemingly harmless endeavours like issuing a Certificate of Irish Heritage or inviting people of Irish extraction (or who just happen to like Ireland) to come and experience, again or for the first time, the wonders of life here? In my view, three primary factors are behind the negativity that’s manifestly out there.
First is a genuinely held belief that the government is wasting a lot of taxpayer money on The Gathering that could be much better spent on far more pressing needs in the current difficult climate. But the reality is that only about €5 million is being spent, and every cent that is spent to assist those organising a wide range of events around the country must be accounted for. Furthermore, even if The Gathering is quite a limited success, €5 million will easily be recouped. The argument that The Gathering is a frivolous waste of money is doubtless linked to widespread criticism about the current government’s fiscal priorities. It doesn’t withstand scrutiny though.
Second is a profound enmity that so many emigrants – both those who remain overseas and those who have returned – have toward the Irish government and political class who they hold responsible, with some justification, for their having to leave the country of their birth in search of a better life. Growing up in Boston, both older Irish emigrants and my contemporaries voiced their hatred for those who “call the shots” in this country time and time again. They never thought the Celtic Tiger was anything other than illusory and aren’t one bit surprised about where Ireland now finds itself.
Actor and former cultural ambassador Gabriel Byrne, who called The Gathering a “scam” and a “shakedown” was admittedly influenced by similar comments he’s heard from fellow emigrants in New York. The bitterness they feel is regrettable and understandable. Yet if anything, The Gathering could be a great vehicle for re-engaging with the aggrieved.
Third is a smug and snobbish view that a small number of outspoken Irish people have about the diaspora – in particular, the Irish America of which I am a proud product. This view was most prominently articulated in a deeply offensive screed, “Americans, if you want the full Irish, take it,” by Donald Clarke in The Irish Times last year. In the piece, Clarke termed it a “myth” that an American with a “wandering ancestor” has any claim on Irishness; defined the typical Irish American as an “eighth generation O’Hara;” and, unsurprisingly, cited his experience of conversing with a barstool IRA supporter in an Irish pub in Queens.
There are, of course, Irish Americans whose behaviour is over the top and whose “paddywhackery” is embarrassing. The vast majority of Irish people can laugh off the occasional nonsense and cherish the relationship they have with their American cousins. These Irish Americans love and often act affirmatively on their heartfelt connection to this country. But a small number of people here have no use for Irish America. Initiatives that are likely to lend credence to or to enhance any, in their minds, tenuous sense of Irishness that Irish Americans enjoy are simply too much to contemplate.
Notwithstanding the negativity, commendable work in communities across Ireland continues in the year of The Gathering. It’s not just about giving heritage certificates to movie stars. Literally thousands of community-based events will have taken place in every corner of Ireland before 2013 is over.
The people who are so cynical about or actually opposed to these efforts really should ask themselves: Why? There is a huge global diaspora with an extraordinary affinity for Ireland. And considering this country’s long and tragic history of forced emigration, it’s fairly myopic to posit that only the people who were born and raised here have a claim to Irishness.
I believe most Irish people respect and understand the complex identity of the diaspora, and don’t mind that millions of people around the world regard themselves as part of this small island. They’re right. Given the good will it generates, the opportunities it creates and the access it allows, Irishness is incredibly powerful. Most countries would kill for it.
Larry Donnelly is a Law Lecturer at NUI Galway and a political columnist with IrishCentral.com. To read other articles by Larry for TheJournal.ie click here.
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Burden of proof .’ i didn’t place that in my bin ,Must have happened when it was sitting on the public road ‘ can’t be enforced
Producers of products must be made to use all recyclable packaging in what ever goods they produce. The end user is always getting screwed. If all packaging was fully recyclable this would eliminate this issue.
It’s also totally impractical. All the bins get chucked into the same compartment on the truck! They may spot something sitting on the top of your rubbish but that’s the best they could do. Will they look through your rubbish as it falls from the bin into the truck?? So stupid… SAD!
Another objectionable attempt by this off shore controlled company to heap extract more revenue from this privatisation mess.
My bins have to go out at night for 6 am collections. Many people have their bins out front 24/7.
I have actually seen bin toppers putting bags into bins awaiting pick up! One individual wheels his shopping trolley around & tips refuse into bins along his daily walk route!
It is a widespread practice.
The operating Companies should tender by area, to service 100% of households & business within service zones. Any addresses without service agreements are immediately exposed for investigation & enforcement. Fewer trucks, lower traffic congestion & emissions. Common sense, not very evident in this privatisation.
As for pricing by weight, this penalises family households & should be banned.
Let Greyhound & any other refuse outfits spend some of their huge revenues on public education on segregation & recycling, instead of harassing the householders who have actually signed up with them.
@William well put. Why has their never been anyone fined for not being signed up to a bin company? A family I know have never paid for bins and laugh at us who do
When did the Irish ever get a good deal from privatisation of a service. It always leads to degradation of service and increase in costs for end users.
@brian boru:
Yeah, just remember back to how good things were when Eircom had a monopoly on the telephones and the ESB with the electricity. High prices and poor service. Now we have choice and competition on pricing with organisations constantly trying to offer a better product or service to win our business.
@Nick Allen: Take a look at your next phone and ESB bill and ask yourself are you getting value or just paying for armies of marketing teams to sell you the same product from multiple vendors – ESB and Eircome
Bin all these moneygrabbing private companies and lets have our old council collections again.
The more people are ripped off the more flytipping will take place.
@brian boru:
I use Virgin for my phone & broadband, I have a 360MB contract and if I connect by ethernet I get a download of about 380 and and upload of about 50, by Wifi I get download of 300 and upload of about 35. I also get all my calls free and this includes landline, mobile and international to about 50+ countries which includes UK, America, Australia and most of Europe. I have online access for my billing and an APP on my phone to let me use my landline account from anywhere in the world when i am on Wifi. On top of this I have a mobile ph account for 20euro a month which gives me free calls, unlimited texts and lots of download over the 4G network.
I happily pay 60 euro for this landline & broadband service plus the extra 20 for the mobile. I think this is very good value
How much did greyhound pay for this ridiculous article? “Forced” to hire 25 staff me bollix.
So there saying food waste can’t be put in black bins now. Taught brown bin were optional
Well it would be great to see my bin supplier oxygen actually offer a brown bin.
I dont condemn putting the wrong rubbish in the wrong bins but its a business idea from greyhound. Every person they try to fine will just switch company. And im sure greyhounds competitors love hearing this news. P.S Bin your rubbish responsibly.
You don’t ‘condone ‘
@Alan mulvey:@Alan mulvey: EU law, food waste must go in brown bin or be composted.
The bstards should be buying the stuff off us. The money they make on it.
Bin companies have some neck on them. They want us the customers to do all the donkey work for them, ie sorting out the normal waste, recyclable waste, food waste ect. Then they charge us an arm and a leg to take it away, pay the staff peanuts, and get paid from some company on China or wherever for the recyclable material. Are you sure now there nothing else we could do for you? All this nonsense does is encourage more people to fly tip or burn the rubbish in their back garden.
Mick , don’t forget to wash out all those jars , pots , containers for them too.Would the like us to stick a broom in our hole and wash their trucks whilst they’re outside the door too ?
Don’t be putting ideas in their head Diarmuid.
@mickmc: So True. That is why their is a surge in stove buying. People burning their rubbish and destroying the air quality because of profiteering.
People should have done more to protect our public bin service.
Remember they sent people to jail for protesting against privatisation.
This is yet another example of privatisation screwing the public.
The reason for privatisation was to save the councils money, there are now 10 times the number of vehicles using the roads and the impact on the environment is immeasurable.
The cost of illegal dumping is in the millions every year.
Great work by senior short sighted civil servants yet again.
Simpler times when we had one bin to rule them all
@Panem et Circenses:
Yes the simpler times when we had huge landfills and no recycling and just dumped everything together. Where has it all gone wrong
Next they’ll be measuring our farts to check that they’re within acceptable methane limits.
If they’re able to justify hiring 25 extra staff just to do this, it must be a very profitable idea.
What Greyhound really mean is that the collection charges will be going up no matter what you do. How can Greyhound state that it’s the customer and not his neighbours putting the wrong rubbish in the bins. Are Greyhound going to supply each and every household security cameras and or individual locks on the bins?
Paul Mc agreed, there are people on our road who habitually put their rubbish in other people’s bins, presumable because their landlords don’t provide enough bins for the flats they’re in.
Fart cops, fart cops. Whatcha gonna do, Whatcha gonna do when they come for you.
Way to encourage fly tipping, Greyhound! Your prices are already high, now you’re going to impose an additional cost to cover the 25 new “bin inspectors” and then even more of a penalty if you fail? No, thanks- I see why people flytip and just spread rubbish all over.
Hey Garreth, just wondering if you could clear something up? What’s the going rate for a “journalist” to publish a press release with a few tweaks and to make it look like a news article, but without any research or criticism? Asking for a friend.
I refuse to use the brown bin for food because it’s disgusting. That little caddy you get for the kitchen is a magnet for ants and fruit flies. Manky!
@Maria Hickey-Fagan:
If you clean it out regularly then you may find the problem with ants etc disappears!
Smart @rse. Of course I cleaned it regularly. During summer months the problem did not go away. Especially the fruit flies.
I’m not with Greyhound, but could you line it with a plastic bag?
I really hope people vote with there feet on this and don’t wait around to be fined 30 euro for a genuine mistake or someone who has passed your bin and discided to put something in it . The journey has made them look like they are doing the right thing .but in real life greyhound are paying 25 people to go around and take pictures of stuff in bins and leave it to be collected and after its collected then they send out the fines. instead of marking bin not to collected …. I rang the staff in greyhound the other day and they where not very helpfull sounded like they have a lot of people on about the same thing .
just put it all in general
they can sort it at depot.
it’s their business to sort it and recycle it, it’s how they make money. but they have convince most of us to do their work for them
and now they want to fine you for not helping them.
Our local bin company Greenstar just dump the recyclable bin in to the truck with the general waste. I asked the lads at the back and they made a joke and laughed.
Report them Carol.
Looks like a lot of people here want the “right to be a lazy git” and put messy unsorted rubbish into any bin they choose. Maybe it’s just a lack of understanding of just how expensive it is to sort this mess once it’s made. Once the mess is made someone has to pay for it. Either the messer pays in fines or the bills go up of the taxpayer/council pays.
IMO it makes makes sense for each individual user to sort their own mess and if they don’t they should be paying someone else to do it. Ireland has signed up to all these environmental regulations and there’s no point in pretending we can just chuck an unsorted mess of rubbish into a landfill like days of old. Maybe if we had incineration we could be lazy and chuck everything into 1 or 2 bins, but in the main we don’t so we can’t. This anger at bin companies for implementing common sense rhymes with the anger with charging for excessive use of water.
Greyhound looking for another way to implement price increases
Ha ha Dubs
Ha Ha Dirty lazy dumb Dubs.. want everything given and some else to pay. Little sense of individual responsibility.
I suppose Greyhound will find 99% of customers will be offenders. Jaysus thats a handy few bob.
Bin cops, bin cops. Whatcha gonna do, Whatcha gonna do when they come for you.
I know of a household in riverside estate Galway who doesn’t have bins and put there waste including fire ash into other people’s bins and over the wall at end of estate.lf they are reading this be warned your time is up.
Greyhound has been robbing its customers for years forcing deposits not even asking if I wanted to put a deposits down just took it And now it comes and attack s its customers again who in there right mind would pay this fine or stay with them I pay you Do what you want with it pi…… off And I pay monthly for services good bye greyhound
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