Sir, The land of a hundred thousand welcomes? Yes, so long as your visit is brief and benefits the tourism industry. While it is shameful to see racism rearing its ugly head during the election campaign, it is not surprising. Contrary to the "friendly Irish" image we like to project to the world, the reality is that prejudice and bigotry of both a pernicious and comparatively benign nature are deeply entrenched in our society. So let's hear some unpalatable home truths. If we cannot accept or at least peaceably coexist with our own travelling community, how are we going to get along with New Age travellers? If Dub liners label and stigmatise each other as "snobby southsiders" and "northside knackers" and everybody else as "culchies" (not all of this is in jest, as we well know), how can we be receptive to Germans, Dutch, British, Romanians or whatever foreign people choose to live in our country?
Finlan O'Toole rightly remarks that the race issue "reflects double standards". For God's sake, who in Ireland does not know someone who is living abroad? I have recently moved back to England from my home town of Dublin to further a journalistic career which was "kickstarted" in London eight years ago and then progressed during a three year stint in the US. I am eternally grateful for the opportunities bestowed on me by foreigners. Who, in sanctimonious and hypocritical Ireland, isn't? But, of course, everyone has always owed us a living, haven't they? - Yours, etc.,
Milton Ave,
Highgate,
London.