Duncan Jones, the son of David Bowie and a BAFTA-winning film director, offered warm words for Ireland recently.
Jones, who is British, was responding to a BBC News article quoting Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, who recently said that Ireland was on the path to unification.
"I wish that island nothing but peace and contentment," Jones wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.
"After what they've endured over the centuries, they deserve it."
I wish that island nothing but peace and contentment. After what they've endured over the centuries, they deserve it. ❤️ https://t.co/pC1wtRezms
— Duncan Jones (@ManMadeMoon) September 7, 2023
Varadkar said Ireland was on the "path to unification" during an interview with Bryan Dobson on RTÉ News at One on Thursday, September 7.
During a wide-ranging interview, Dobson asked Varadkar about what he thought of the "success" that The Wolfe Tones have been enjoying. The Irish rebel group is celebrating its 60th year and recently drew a record-breaking crowd at the Electric Picnic music festival in Co Laois.
The performance drew criticism from some people after videos emerged of the crowd chanting "Ooh ahh, Up the Ra" during a performance of "Celtic Symphony."
However, Varadkar said he believes people in the crowd simply enjoyed songs that they could sing along to.
"I probably have a more sanguine view of this than maybe other people. People like ballads, they like songs they can sing along to," Varadkar told Dobson.
"I think some people maybe read too much into the politics of this.
"But there is one thing I would say - I believe we are on the path to unification.
"I believe that there will be a united Ireland in my lifetime.
“And in that united Ireland, there is going to be a minority, roughly a million people who are British, and you judge the success and the quality of a country by the way it treats its minorities. And that's something we're going to have to think about.
"Because what is a republican ballad, a nice song to sing, easy words to learn for some people can be deeply offensive to other people."
Jones, meanwhile, has distant Irish roots. RTÉ reported earlier this year that Bowie’s great-grandmother Mary Eileen Heaton was born in Co Tipperary.
Despite the distant Irish link, Jones - who has said his grandmother used to tell him stories of her family who were "Irish bootleggers" - maintains a strong interest in all things Ireland and Northern Ireland and has previously discussed their politics, culture, and sports on social media.
In 2019, he said: "Oh lord... Ireland? Soon to be independent Scotland? Any chance one of you can make a special dispensation for me and my family to get citizenship?"
Feels to any Irish visiting the US right now who are about to get inundated with Americans telling them their family histories and tenuous links to the olde country.
— Duncan Jones (@ManMadeMoon) March 17, 2021
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