Sir, – My family and I have been holidaying in a big and popular town in the south of the country for the past 25 years. Our children have grown up spending their holidays in this town and now they bring their friends to our small holiday house here. Recently, when dropping a laundry bag to the local laundrette, we were asked “Are you local?” We were told that unless we were local they would not do our laundry; they had a workload. Minutes later we were in the supermarket where a checkout assistant asked us if we were holidaying in the town. So, in this town, they will take our money but they will not take our laundry.
We have to reflect here. What is this Ireland of a hundred thousand welcomes? Does it exist? Did it ever? If we cannot be generous toward our own, how can we integrate others who bravely flee to our country in the hope of a better life?
Are you local? Because if so, you are welcome, but if not, you are not. – Yours, etc,
SINÉAD DE BÚRCA,
Dublin 15.