Godfrey's Gospel: Misunderstanding led to inaccurate criticism

I SUPPOSE I should be flattered – a reader from far away San Diego taking Umbridge at what I write – reference: Letter to the Editor, Nationalist 30 July by Eric Watkins from said West Coast city.

I have been to many parts of the USA over the years, both for business and pleasure, and I can honestly say that my favourite city is San Diego. As far as I’m concerned, it has it all – the old town is great if you are a history buff, there is San Diego Zoo, Mission Valley, Fashion Valley and Hotel Circle, where you are certain to find accommodation within your budget. It is only ten miles from the border with Tijuana, Mexico and a couple of hours’ drive to Anaheim and Disneyland, or go that little further into Los Angeles.

But let me say, Mr Watkins, regarding the article I wrote about the UK election and the level of coverage given to it by our national broadcaster, you missed the point completely.

You took my comments about descendants of Irish people as both offensive and ludicrous, but I wasn’t talking about them – I was talking about the coverage on the radio.

Irrespective of your views, or how you read the article, that was my intention. I don’t care who won what seat in what constituency in Northern Ireland or Britain, or the ‘shock’ news that short-lived UK prime minister Liz Truss had lost her seat. And I couldn’t care less about Ian Paisley Jnr losing his seat in Northern Ireland, or which is the largest representative body up there. My point was why were we obsessing about the UK election when most people over there don’t know anything about the Irish or our complicated history with their country?

Here is one fact for you: my English Irish cousin, who is quite proud of his Irish heritage and travels here whenever he can, identifies as English because it is where he was born and grew up, apart from the summer holidays spent in ‘the old country’ as Irish Americans call it , or ‘home’ – yes, in inverted commas – as people from the UK refer to Ireland. Not in a derogatory way, but merely as a means of differentiating between their old home and the home of their English-born children.

Here is another fact: there is very little, if any, Irish history taught in the English educational system. Hence, most English people, except those with Irish parents or grandparents, know very little about that complicated relationship between both countries.

They know we are great craic, the pubs are full of music and wherever they go in the world they can be found in Irish pubs because of the music, singing and the fact that we speak the same language.

But make no mistake, we are different, and my point in the article was not about having a go at those who can trace their roots back to Ireland; rather, those who decide which items will be broadcast on the radio here in Ireland to have a little cop on and find something better to do with their airtime than keep us briefed about the breakdown of votes in a parliament that has no bearing on day-to-day life in Ireland.

Going back to my English cousins, I am correct is saying they have difficulty in pronouncing the word taoiseach and I know people living in America haven’t a clue when it comes to pronouncing names such as Saoirse or Caoimhe.

My point there was that we, on the other hand, have had to listen to months and months of commentary about how the new UK prime minister had developed strategies to oust the Conservatives.

I applaud the fact that you, Mr Watkins, have gone to the trouble to trace your family tree, and if you qualify for an Irish passport and spend the time and money going through the process to obtain one, good luck to you. But does that really make you Irish, or just a person who qualifies for dual citizenship?

If I ever qualified for an American passport, I would become a citizen of the USA. Then I have the right to vote as to who rules that country but, funnily enough, because I was not born there, irrespective of what my passport says, I would not be allowed to run for President. Equally, even though I would hold dual citizenship, whenever I would leave America or return there, according to US law, I would have to use my US passport.

My advice to Mr Watkins is: please continue to read this newspaper and please continue to criticise, where appropriate, but how about just enjoying the knowledge that you have Irish pedigree rather than going to war to defend it, when no defence is needed?