Oh, Terrence, Ireland is a bit of a sore subject for me in a religious sense, since my husband is a Catholic from the North and has suffered greatly, as did his family for hundreds of years under Protestant rule. This is a really inflammatory subject, something I shy away from, of course. But really, even though the antagonists are of different religions, it is a class war more particularly. The middle and upper classes are thoroughly integrated, and the combatants are young men from the poor and working classes who do not have much of a stake in the society, and less to lose.
Incidentally, Gerry Adams is someone I have met, and I really like him. His Sinn Fein party most particularly is inclusive, and when he spoke here he made a very gracious speech specifically outlining a platform of freedom for Protestants, Catholics and PAGANS in his vision for a new Ireland.
Also, modern pagans are very active in Ireland, north and south, and the pagan origins of Irish life, with all their goat fairs and Halloween rituals and Celtic crosses with the remnants of sun worship, run right under the surface all over the island. And once the it was revealed that the Bishop of Galway had an illegitimate son who he resisted supporting, and so many priests have been arrested and convicted on child abuse charges, Catholicism is rapidly losing its grip. Almost no one wants to be a nun or a priest, and Catholic schools are closing for lack of interest. Change will take time, but things are moving in the right direction.
Christine |
