Thanks, Robert, for actually reading my controversial posting. After Dennis was upset it hurt my feelings for a couple of reasons. First, I don't want to ever be insensitive and hurt or insult someone else. So I was hurt too. And also I felt pretty misunderstood. I went back and reread it, and I guess it must have been the word "peasants" that made him think I was coming from a Protestant or English position on the Irish. That's not true--in fact it's the opposite. By peasants I just meant the poeple who always lived there, close to and off the land, suffering as Ireland was occupied by various invaders--the Romans and Vikings and many others, because of its geographical location. I have a pretty keen sense of injustice, and identify with all that loss and sadness. When I met my husband I could hardly even understand what he was saying because his brogue was so strong. When I got used to that, he started telling me about his experiences as a Catholic in Northern Ireland--the discrimination in jobs, the pain he had suffered in school, the priests and nuns who beat him, about his father who was a farm laborer and ended up in a workhouse (a place for very poor people) with his wife and children because he couldn't make enough to house them all when there wasn't enough work. When you are falling in love with someone you want to understand them, and so I started reading about the history of Ireland, and was really shocked at what had happened to the Irish. I talked about the Celtic revival
because I think core Irish beliefs and ways of life were destroyed by Christianity in the same way that native people all over the world have had their religion changed. Since so many Irish are fractured and damaged now, I think it might be healthy to go back and see how rich the Celtic culture was. The music and art are very rich, and make me feel good. We are hoping to live there, and as a wife and mother I have tried to bring all things Irish--film, politics, literature, food, magazines and newspapers, music and folklore--into our house, because they are wonderful and make us feel good and whole. I'm really sorry if my comments offended anyone. |
