119 Comments
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Sera's avatar

Two words: “We’re liked”. So important, so true.

Two other personal observations:

The poetry, music, and language, of the Irish is, relative to its size, unequaled in the world. Culture is essential. Palestinians are famous in the region for their love of learning, poetry and literature. Have you heard Israeli music? Watched their theatre and television? And that’s a huge clue, because all over the world the achievements of Jewish entertainers and artists are spectacular. It’s as if the Israeli national pastimes of killing and hatred have drained away their innate gifts.

Two: I was fairly young then, but I followed Bobby Sands, and his cause, very closely. At the time I thought: How can anyone conquer a people willing to die of hunger rather than give in? It didn’t happen then, and it won’t happen now.

Éire go brách. Palestine go brách

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Shayne O'Neill's avatar

Fantastic and inspiring read and mini-history lesson on Ireland's uprising against the oppressors for both themselves and Palestine. Drives me to keep moving forward with my Ceachtanna Gaeilge.

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Deaglan O'Mulrooney's avatar

Keep learning! We can make a spectacle readers Gaelige speakers club for those who want to practice!

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Shayne O'Neill's avatar

Sounds good. 🍀☘️

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Jo Waller's avatar

Apart from Bono.

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Deaglan O'Mulrooney's avatar

oh god, he was always a wanker

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Shaniqua DuBois's avatar

Needed this today deaglan, thank you, you've got me energised! Powerful

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Duncan Saunders's avatar

From 6000 miles away in Washington state, I will in spirit be joining the rally in support of Kneecap and their courage in supporting the people of Palestine/Gaza against the genocidal policies of Israel!!

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Deaglan O'Mulrooney's avatar

Thank you, Duncan! Keep Palestine and the lads from Kneecap in your heart!

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Duncan Saunders's avatar

Always! So appreciate your posts and writings! Gives me hope and heart!

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Baz's avatar
May 30Edited

Oops sorry Duncan posted on the wrong thread

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Ruth Harper's avatar

Not only free Palestine but return it to its original size under the UN agreement of 1947/8 and have Israel pay for the reconstruction.

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David Elliott's avatar

Wonderful stuff Deaglan. Destiny beckons for Ireland.

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Baz's avatar

Ireland’s destiny will always be Ireland’s what we’re here for is that of the people of Gaza and Palestine.

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Ron Stockton's avatar

Wonderful!! Now, if only Ireland (maybe joined by Spain and Norway) would send warships laden with food and medicine to Gaza to provide concrete support for the Palestinians. Those warships would be armed and prepared to defend themselves, by the way.

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Miriam O'Callaghan's avatar

The food abd nedicine are already right there waiting to be distributed by unwra. No need for ships.

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Ron Stockton's avatar

Well, Ireland, Spain, and Norway could send ships and troops to ensure the food and medicines are allowed in. If ever there was a justification for nations to intervene militarily, Israeli's genocide is it.

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Andrew Brunt's avatar

They haven’t got any warships the Irish depend on their ‘oppressors’ for their defence.

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Tom McGrath's avatar

Bwahahaha! Yeah. Warships. And maybe they can return filled with “refugees”. The Irish women will certainly welcome the dusky Hamas types.

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Libertarian's avatar

I like the sentiment but the truth is that the entire EU has near zero naval capability. The US controls the oceans and has more carriers, cruisers, destroyers, subs and fighter jets on every square mile of sea than all the EU has total. After WWII the EU surrendered all practical naval power. Now, their funny little ships are only allowed out of port after getting permission from the US and then only for good will cruises. It’s sad but it’s real politik. Israel would light up any EU ship before it for within 300 miles of them.

Not to mention that Ireland hasn’t even stopped buying Israel bonds let alone going to attack it.

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Miriam O'Callaghan's avatar

Terrific piece

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Deaglan O'Mulrooney's avatar

Thank you for reading, Miriam! Wishing you a good weekend!

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Concerned Celtiberian's avatar

Thank you, this piece has brightened my day!

Centuries ago, Ireland and Spain were brotherly nations. It’s time to renew the old friendship!

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Deaglan O'Mulrooney's avatar

Galego and Gaelige are both Gaels! The music sounds very similar too.

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Kevin Pettitt's avatar

Thank you,Deaglan.

We will never abandon the people of Palestine.

Their children are our children.

Their mothers are our mothers.

Their fathers are our fathers.

We will not stand by and look away.

There will come a reckoning that will shake the world.

Free Palestine.

🇵🇸🇵🇸🇵🇸🇵🇸🇵🇸

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gypsy33's avatar

I’ve made two trips to the Emerald Isle from Amerikkka to visit friends. Neither time did I want to return to the shithole my country has devolved into. I’d give an arm for an Irish passport; my father was from Haifa, Palestine BTW.

THANK YOU IRELAND for being a friend to my people 🇵🇸🇵🇸🇵🇸

🇮🇪🇮🇪🇮🇪

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Libertarian's avatar

Most Americans are against Israeli genocide of Palestinians in Gaza. Try not to alienate us by condemning all the US please. It works against our natural sympathy and efforts to stop the genocide.

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gypsy33's avatar

I wasn’t making reference to the Amerikkkan people themselves.

But can you deny that this country is a shithole?

Visit Ireland for yourself, and shake your head in wonder at the difference.

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Libertarian's avatar

I am a citizen of both US and Ireland. I have passports from both countries. I have many relatives in both. I have been to Ireland a dozen times. I had staff throughout the EU, US and Japan; I was a big pharma exec. I traveled throughout world both as military and civilian. US is not a shithole by any definition and btw the entire Southern Hemisphere would give their left nut to be a US citizen. And over a billion Chinese and another billion Europeans would sacrifice it too. Be real.

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Gothic Bluebird's avatar

Well, this inhabitant of the Great Southern Land has no desire to live in the "good ol' USA". You can have the place all to yourself.

The US has interferred in geopolitics for the last 80 years, causing a lot of death and destruction for the sake of "strategic gains". Imperialism under the guise of bringing democracy to these "poor forsaken people" in far flung reaches. Now it's the home of Trumpian authoritarianism and evangelicalism.

I'm sorry to make this personal but you bragged about your achievements: big pharma is nothing to be proud of - money grubbers milking every last cent our of the sick; military - to quote Whitfield & Strong: "War, friend only to the undertaker"; so you had staff - bourgeois prat - or, were you really just another rat on the wheel of capitalism? As a libertarian, I'm sure you'll understand my right to speak freely.

Free Palestine!

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Libertarian's avatar

I definitely agree with your “Free Palestine” and implied sentiment to stop Israeli genocide of Palestinians in Gaza. I disagree on some other points but they’re very secondary to stopping genocide; which was the only reason I was commenting on this Substack in the first place. Take care, amigo; we have bigger fights we need to win.

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gypsy33's avatar

Really, Libertarian?

How many Europeans do you see migrating to Amerikkka at this point?

They DON’T. Those days of the milk and honey are long gone.

My neighbor, a GM engineer, was sent to work in China for several years. Upon their return home, they begged to be sent back, which they were for several more years. What’s that tell ya?

The only people who actually wish to come here are from nations that Amerikkka has utterly destroyed.

And as a Michigan resident, I’ve visited Canada many, many times and aside for their politics , Canada is assuredly NOT shithole.

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Libertarian's avatar

It tells me you think a sample size of one neighbor represents an entire population. Lol. Also tells me you yourself are neither well educated nor very well traveled. No offense. Be careful the questions you pose to those unafraid to be truthful.

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gypsy33's avatar

Oooh, I’m “not very well educated”…lol, the last bastion of a true OVEREDUCATED asshole. I have a high school diploma, but I also have COMMON HORSE SENSE, unlike you snots who think they know shit from shinola because you “went to university”.

Fuck ya’ll. I couldn’t give a fuck less that you worked for Big Pharma, in fact it makes you more disgusting than you already are. You should have tried doing an honest day’s work like my husband and I did; he worked tool and die for GM and I was a landscaper.

Case closed, you condescending motherfucker.

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Bunny711's avatar

Go to a greyhound bus station bathroom and tell me it’s not a shithole…you seem to probably not have to live in the parts of America that deal with the most inequality. I’ve been to Japan with their immaculate bathrooms and I’ve lived in a third world country with endless holes in sidewalks. In parts of my city it’s comparable and that’s where the impoverished lived. The greyhound bus station was nastier than any bathroom I used in the third world (majority of people from there prefer it over “developing”). Literal shit everywhere and still locked so the public couldn’t use it with homeless people sleeping in the station. The city of Detroit had to have its own brigade of lawn mowers just so people could see their children play in parks. The individualism and decay of extended families and neighborhoods along with insane healthcare systems is driving people to not have families anymore where as my Asian and African friends say the actual “village” will help you raise yours. Sure we don’t have war but we have safety thanks to constantly waging war abroad and if you’re not privileged violence a threat

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Libertarian's avatar

I was in the military for four years and the places I saw in the those countries make a greyhound bus station look immaculate. I’ve also travelled extensively to the UK, EU, Japan and throughout US because I was an exec in two different big pharma Global 50 companies and had staff in those places.

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Jo Waller's avatar

So are the English.

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Libertarian's avatar

I’m glad and I don’t doubt it.

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Anthony Dunn's avatar

These are really rousing words, Deaglan. Truthful. Courageous. Inspiring.

Humans of the world unite! Let's slay this highly organised evil minority of monsters.

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AuDHD AllyCat's avatar

Love and solidarity to the people of Iwerddon from Cymru 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿✊🇮🇪✊🇵🇸

Rhyddid i Balesteina!

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Deaglan O'Mulrooney's avatar

Annibyniaeth i Gymru! Now!

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Michael's avatar

Wonderful article. And very inspiring. However, it should be noted that in the USA the Irish diaspora can be, politically speaking, ummm, let’s just say, very hit and miss. Let’s just say, historically, we’re more likely to produce a Joe McCarthy or a Father Coughlin (not to mention a Hannity, Oreilly, or the execrable Bannon) than a Mother Jones or Dorothy Day. On average, your current Irish American descendants are more likely to support oppression everywhere so long as as it’s in American geostrategic interests. It’s kind of depressing really. So one shouldn’t expect much Palestinian solidarity from these quarters. No matter the history of Ireland, when they came to America and became “white” all the lessons of suffering and oppression were for the most part forgotten.

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Michael Rawlins's avatar

I am working class English and recognise that my government totally complicit in the genocide of Gaza. I like to think of myself as a real socialist, not a supporter or this shower of sh*t. So please do not include the majority of the working class people of England in your comments. I'm sure most of us are decent, humane people.

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Libertarian's avatar

Exactly right, Michael. I am same with regard to USA.

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MakerOfNoise's avatar

Amen, Deaglan!

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Sam's avatar

Really great read

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Deaglan O'Mulrooney's avatar

Thank you so much, Sam! Slightly different to my normal stuff, I was just feeling incensed.

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