Madam, – Having spent more than 45 years working, living and travelling in many countries throughout the world, both my wife and I were always comfortable in and proud of our Irishness, our history and culture.
Last week, however, in Spain, when asked where were we from, we both simultaneously recoiled from answering immediately. When discussing it afterwards, it shocked and disappointed us that we subconsciously felt ashamed and hesitant to declare our nationality.
We were ashamed because our great country, our Taoiseach and Government are daily being lampooned and denigrated. We have again become the butt of “drunken Paddy” jokes here and in the international press and media in general.
We are more ashamed, upset and angry because the incompetence, corruption, and squandermania of Fianna Fáil, from Haughey to Bertie Ahern and Brian Cowen, has needlessly decimated our once vibrant economy.
We grieve for the loss of generations of our young people to forced emigration.
We also know, full well, that nobody will ever be held accountable in the courts, and that the perpetrators of these crimes against the Irish people will luxuriate in perpetuity with their outrageous pensions, compensation and golden handshakes. – Yours, etc,