Real Irish Patriots Don't Shop in Ireland (Northern)

national | miscellaneous | opinion/analysis Friday May 01, 2009 00:59 by Saoirsí - Alliance for the Libertarian Left (Ireland) saoirsi at libertarian dot ie

Ultra-nationalists in Free-State clothing

Dundalk shops around for printing a few miles to the north, and it's an international incident.

Never ceases to amaze, how so many supposedly cosmopolitan people in Ireland can be so parochial - and we're looking at you, Mr. Cochrane ( http://www.politics.ie/economy/64878-dundalk-chamber-co....html ). If it's the loss of tax revenue due to taxes on the printing going to the British state, that might indeed be a - tiny - issue.

The idea that Irish people are only "really" Irish by virtue of inhabiting the 26 counties might come as something of a surprise to the many emigrants among the diaspora in other countries. Or rather, actually it probably wouldn't. Eaten bread is soon forgotten and all that.

It's pretty perverse to consider that patriotism now consists of completely ignoring the deep historical, and cultural ties (not to mention political - even FG calls itself the "United Ireland Party") across the traditional national territory. Someone is actually proud of being that senselessly parochial, of worshipping the limitations the state, as opposed to respecting the natural hinterlands of people? Greasy fingers in the till, indeed.

It's like a bad Cork joke - real patriots don't shop in Kerry. But people really take this seriously?