In Ireland “today, 17 per cent of our population comes from somewhere else. The last time that happened was probably the Plantation [of Ulster]. But this has been a different kind of absorption, and I think in general we have done a really, really wonderful job.” — Mary McAleese

Contained in this one quotation is the naivety, the cognitive dissonance, the lack of foresight and the lack of self-reflection that characterises a broad section of the Irish establishment. If only Mary McAleese had been around in 1609 to 1690 to ensure the welcome of the English and Scottish settlers, and to oversee a “different kind of absorption”, the destruction of Gaelic Ulster which was one of the great crimes in the history of the world, could have been achieved more efficiently and bloodlessly, with diversity classes and migrant quotas and “Say No to Racism” days.

The Irish “have no right to be racist” she says but what she means, or what she can only mean, is that the Irish have no right to be Irish. Because to be Irish, in the current paradigm, is to be racist by definition. To have a country dominated by Irish people is an affront to common decency and must be corrected. Today she says “17 per cent of our population comes from somewhere else.” What about tomorrow? What about the day after? What about the next generation?

Someone passing through Ireland this week, who picked up a few newspapers, would conclude that the primary issue affecting Irish life is racism and immigration. The sheer number of words that have been expended on this topic in recent weeks is almost comical. Dozens of articles, all saying the same things, all employing the same straw-men, all written from the same ideological perspective. All convinced that if only the “insidious” elements of Irish society were eliminated, all would be well. If only the elderly generation died off, or if only rural Ireland would go away, or if only the working class would know their place, then Ireland would be free of hatred. And of course if only the “far right” groups would disappear, everything would be fine. Yet, none of these articles confront the reality of the situation. The reality is that if Liberal Ireland took all the thought criminals out behind a shed and shot them, there would still be a panel show the next day discussing the horrors of racism. Because they are obsessed with it. And they have embraced a framework of viewing the world where it is almost the central fact. Everything is racist. And they need everything to be racist. And the journalists who are waxing lyrical now will themselves be purged for not representing a diverse enough outlook. Have no doubt. A future of ethnic conflict is already baked into the cake of their moral and ideological position.

There is a shallowness to the new political hysteria. A sense of phoney surprise and fake indignation. The only real surprise is that they’ve maintained their charade for so long. Everything about diversity and muliculturalism was supposed to be bright and beautiful. Now we hear establishment voices concerned for migrant children in Irish majority class-rooms. To which one must ask two questions. Firstly, did this occur to them just now? In other words, did the capacity for division intrinsic to multiculturalism suddenly hit them over the head? If so, it is an indictment of them both as policymakers and as people, because twenty or thirty years ago was the time to be having these eureka moments. Secondly, what about the Irish child in a majority migrant class-room? Have politicians gotten around to thinking about them? Or do we have to wait another twenty years for them to make the calculations? We may wait in vain, because it is already decreed from on high that that Irish child has no rights. No right to country, no right to kin. No higher court to proceed to when bullied. No hate crime legislation to protect them from the tribalism of others. But establishment politicians don’t care about that child and never will care. The fewer Irish people as a proportion of any given scenario is now the measure of its success.

For twenty years, we have been told that Ireland is the exception. Ireland is the place where mass-immigration will work. This in spite of our history and our experience. And now we are where we are. Twenty years ago, Mary McAleese didn’t stand up in front of an audience and say “Prepare for an influx of people equivalent to the plantation of Ulster.” Nobody in power did. But now they are patting each others’ backs for carrying out just that. Willie O’Dea said recently that Irish politicians “with the help of the media” had successfully suppressed debate about immigration. Well, that time has passed. Every day of the week now, there are three to four hysterical mainstream articles about racism, immigration and the rise of some amorphous “far right.” They are trying desperately to keep the lid on a situation that is increasingly beyond their control. Their promises, their delusions, their treachery are out in the open now, and will not be forgotten, not by this generation or by the generations who follow.

The ramifications of the Ulster plantation did not end in the 17th century, as McAleese is well aware. They continue to this very day. It doesn’t matter how well intended or badly intended your plantation is. You cannot alter a country’s demography in such extreme ways without creating centuries of conflict. The fact that McAleese views the current plantation as a success is a testament to her myopia. And the myopia of her whole political class.

This article was submitted by a National Party member. If you would like to submit an article for publication on the National Party website, follow this link.