From at least the 11th Century, Irish people have lived experience of genocide, imprisonment, starvation and expulsion from their land; and Ireland. Outside of Ireland, they have also experienced racism, inequality and exploitation. Countless Irish people have been excluded, banned and even deported from countries, just because they were Irish or held “undesirable” political beliefs. So we have seen it all, or have we?
The genocidal slaughter of men, women and children in Palestine’s Gaza and The West Bank over the last twenty one months must be the world’s most horrific event since the atomic bombing of the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nakisaki by the United States in 1945. They are central to the genocide in Palestine today too.
Irish people identify with the slaughter of the Palestinians and have expressed their solidarity and opposition to this genocide. However, it is clear that those in power in the twenty six counties view things differently.
Compassion is not a word that the ruling class are familiar with unless it ‘curry favours’ with their imperial masters in the EU and the US. To that end, they prevented 33 Palestinian children from entering Ireland for two weeks on a hurling tour of the country. Harmless enough you’d think? But no, the bureaucrats ensured that it would not happen, citing spurious excuses that paper work was not in order!
Micheál Martin had the heartless ability to say he was ‘perplexed’ as to ‘why these people (Palestinians) cant fill out forms correctly’ ( Irish News 22/7/2025) He hasn’t noticed that there exists a genocide in Palestine since 1948 and that English is not their first language.
Even though it was a unique sporting event in the midst of a slaughter, the bureaucrats decided that they would ban the children from a little bit of enjoyment, over relatively minor mistakes in form filling.
Was the same strict criteria adhered to in every case where Ukrainians were readily accepted into Ireland at the behest of the EU, US, NATO and PESCO ? Will all the ‘paper work’ be in order for the thousands of Yankee and Zionist military planes landing in Shannon and flying over Irish airspace to ferry weapons of death on Palestine and other bombed countries?
If Ukrainian children were coming here to play hurling would they be blocked by bureaucracy? Have there ever been waivers implemented for wealthy migrants of the business type coming into Ireland? If any of the ruling class had organised the event, would Micheál Martin et al be ‘perplexed’ about the paper work not being exactly correct?
There was always the danger for the ruling class that the hurling tour of Ireland, by children from an annihilated country, would generate even more empathy for the genocide in Palestine. Politically, the ruling class could see all kinds of potential dangers, real and imagined. Irish children might even start to ask ‘awkward’ questions. Worse, they might become politicised!
Just like profit, the management of power comes away ahead of humanity or empathy. Not even our national, world-wide recognised sport, hurling, could penetrate that attempt to alleviate the suffering of innocent children.
