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Periscope by Niall O'Dowd

Massive emigration points again to Ireland failing to support its people

Posted on Wednesday, December 28, 2011 at 04:52 AM

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Dublin: The news that 70,000 departed these shores this year is truly depressing.

Two years ago it was truly ironic to read that Irish students protested near the replica Famine ship the Jeanne Johnston to make a point about the role of enforced emigration in Irish life for the last 175 years.

As another generation gets ready to leave we really have to face facts about the country of Ireland.

As we witness another huge exodus of people, driven by economic malfeasance we have to embrace the notion that after 90 years of independence it is not a very well run country.

During that ninety years we have had maybe 15 of outright prosperity, seven or eight with the Celtic Tiger and a similar phase in the late 1970s, early 1980s.

In between were decades of hard times, emigrant boats and ships and perhaps, saddest of all, a grim realization that Ireland was unable to keep many of its best and brightest.

All in all, as another generation takes to the boats and planes the extent of the failure in Ireland has become evident .

_________

Irish leader deeply regrets massive emigration of young people

Irish continue to flock to US immigration figures show

75,000 Irish to emigrate next year as unemployment continues to rise

_________

What we have to realize is that, in almost every sector of Irish life, a privileged elite, a crony class has grown up and that has stunted Irish growth in a permanent fashion.

Politics and business are just two examples. In politics, Ireland has the highest ratio of politicians being elected because they are family members of a departing office holder in all of Europe.

That inevitably lessens the gene pool of talented people who wish to enter politics.

Brian Cowen, former current leader,and Enda Kenny,current leader are just two examples of leaders who made it initially through family connections and they would be two of the more talented examples.

That same tendency is rampant in areas of Irish life such as law, medicine and much of business.

It is not a meritocracy in the way that American is at its best.

And it hurts Ireland deeply.

When the business and political cronyism worlds intersect we have the worst of both worlds colliding.

That was what happened during the Celtic Tiger when business tycoons won sweetheart deals from a government that was in power for eighteen of the last twenty years.

Other countries, such as Australia and Canada had systems in place to prevent such looting of the public purse. Ireland has never safeguarded its future generations in the same way.

Aside from the Celtic Tiger collapse, the church has also effectively collapsed as well, leaving Ireland with no moral leadership at a time it desperately needs it.

The institutions of the state have failed the Irish people. It truly is a most distressful nation at this moment with worse to come.

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19 comments

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LaoiseRyan | Jan 01, 2012, 08:18 AM EST

CountyKilburn- we have enough foreigners here without bringing over millions of Americans too.

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cuddlybuddly | Dec 31, 2011, 05:09 AM EST

a privileged elite, a crony class has grown up and that has stunted Irish growth in a permanent fashion...so good I had to repeat it...ask yourselves are you one of the cronies?

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CountyKilburn | Dec 29, 2011, 07:33 PM EST

Why not just extend Irish citizenship to Irish-Americans? They can bring their skills into the Republic, while the young generation of Irish are sending their remittances back from Britain. Problem solved!!

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LimavadyExile | Dec 29, 2011, 09:33 AM EST

I am from the North, which I left over 30 years ago because of the no-hope future against the backdrop of the Troubles. I have met dozens of Irishmen here in Brazil, many of them recent arrivals fleeing the tragic situation back home. This article touches on a painful subject very close to anyone who is a member of the diaspora. When times were good, no one really cared about politics or the politicians. Everyone was getting on with having a good time and living it up on cheap credit and the illusion that it would last forever. Even when the first signs began to appear, no one took any notice and government failed to heed the economic yellow lights. As for the over-extended, poorly managed banks that brought the country to its knees, questions will be asked in years to come as to why the economic authorities were so lax in terms of supervising the banking system. Government and big business hand-in-hand? Ireland is paying the price, and Irishmen at home and those forced to emigrate will continue to pay the price for many years to come. That

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dibble2008 | Dec 29, 2011, 09:14 AM EST

Ireland is being destroyed by greed and corrupt politicians end of story. You can analyse it until the cows come home thats the bottom line. The existing government promised to reverse the disastrous cuts of the last government and what did they do. They got into power and now the continue everything the Irish people voted them in to change. They call this 9and its a mantra at this stage) The Programme for Government. Hypocrites and backstabbers. Roll on 5 more years of Tyranny and then you will see the people ditch this government. The problem is that. What is left. The biggest parties have now been tried and proven to be worse them Fianna Fail who ruined the country so it looks like Sinn Fein will be the only choice and a few straggling independants. Well gerry Adams? You have my vote because I am sick to death of being walked on and abused but corrupt politicians.

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LilPaddy | Dec 28, 2011, 09:37 PM EST

Boy! I've just read the comments BELOW, AND FOR THE FIRST TIME IN YEARS I AM PROUD TO SAY THAT THE COMMENTERS ON THIS SITE HAVE GIVEN ME HOPE THAT THERE IS ENOUGH BRAINS AMONG US IRISH TO SAVE OUR IRELAND.... AND FOR THAT, I THANK EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU..... Lil Paddy...........

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cillowen | Dec 28, 2011, 06:32 PM EST

The Saxon-Anglo based Ireland, support, of its people - a people whose interest has always been geared in doing missionary work and now they have created a blowin problem with such caring. It's rapidly sending them under, as like that of the Tuatha deDanaan (phonetic).

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GeorgeDillon | Dec 28, 2011, 03:25 PM EST

jacers: "I was spinning your frequently stated point that Ireland is becoming far less homogenious." No, I never said that either. Ireland is becoming far less IRISH. It will cease to be a recognizably Irish country within my lifetime. I think Irish Americans are extraordinarily blind to this fact, many of them preferring to deal in blarney and bluster such as what's the best Bed & Breakfast in Killeshandra etc. The only Irish homeland that has ever existed, or will ever exist, will be no more. I think that's sad, indeed a heavy blow against the diversity of the world, just as I would think it sad and profoundly troubling if the Chamorros of Guam or the Polynesians of Tahiti or the Ladino Jews of Turkey were to vanish from history. I apologize if my earlier reply to you was discourteous. On this site I have to deal in kind with a number of quite rude interlocutors. You are not one of them.

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joycean | Dec 28, 2011, 02:56 PM EST

George, I realize I was spinning your frequently stated point that Ireland is becoming far less homogenious. Sorry if you feel I have misused your thoughts. I probably should not have run the two ideas into one sentence. As for cronyism, the Irish brought it to this country, establishing Tamminy Hall and Boston and Chicago political machines, much to the horror of the Yankees who were here. Yeah, it exists in this country. Today it is much harder to get a decent job if you don't know someone. Now they call it "networking." I've noticed that nowadays college students are urged to "network," as if bothering the alumni is the best advice the faculty can give.

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AMWilson | Dec 28, 2011, 02:50 PM EST

... and, conversely, another corrupt political machine that caters to the ANTI-immigrant vote.

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AMWilson | Dec 28, 2011, 02:47 PM EST

Oh my: ever hear of Tammany Hall? Wherever there is massive immigration, there will be a corrupt political machine that organizes and caters to the immigrant vote.

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FastEddy | Dec 28, 2011, 02:22 PM EST

Well, you could always cut taxes so that the Celtic Tiger would rise again. Is that too deep for you? What part about fat, stupid government killing private sector job creation don't you get?

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GeorgeDillon | Dec 28, 2011, 02:18 PM EST

joycean: I am of course correct, but you are not. The spin you put on my analysis in no way represents my ideas and is complete nonsense. I have never said that people will not be able to rely on cronyism in the Nova Irlandsakaya that will be born in the next decade or so. What you say is utter garbage. The US is an immigrant society--are you seriously telling us that there's no cronyism here? Come down to my part of Dixie and I'll put you straight. In Ireland, all indications are that Polish cronies will look out for each other, Romanians will help Romanians, Africans Good Old Boys will make sure to give first preference to Africans etc. etc. in that Ireland that is now being born. The only cronyism the Irish will be capable of is to give each other tips as to where to emigrate to.

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joycean | Dec 28, 2011, 01:50 PM EST

Well if George Dillon is correct, Ireland is being transformed from an insular homogenious society to an immigrant society where people will not be able to rely on cronyism. Could be a good thing.

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eiriamach | Dec 28, 2011, 01:03 PM EST

"[T]he church has also effectively collapsed as well, leaving Ireland with no moral leadership at a time it desperately needs it." Where does this craziness come from? People getting their morality from religion? Today, we're more likely to choose a religion on the basis of its not violating our moral values. The millions who have left Catholic churches during the child abuse debacle are evidence that morality goes deeper than religious doctrine, much deeper. Its context is social. As JFK recognized in 1960, we hold in our "mortal hands the power to abolish all forms of human poverty and to abolish all forms of human life." In this age the power to create an ethical society that nurtures fellow feeling and mutual responsibility is a political/ social power, not one that any religious institution can ever again hope to wield. In a democracy, because we know that human rights are God-given, beyond any particular religion, we set up constitutional systems that safeguard the morality and developing ethos of the people by protecting freedom of conscience. Moral progress is more likely to emerge from movements like Occupy Wall St or Occupy Dame St-- from people on the ground who identify problems like poverty and organized greed-- than it is from any self- appointed "moral leader." Ireland's morality is in no danger of collapsing with the Church. Right now it needs freedom from clerical "leadership" and institutionalized "authority." Re-forming a moral consensus is a natural, healthy democratic exercise: just let it happen.

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