Before the Ireland vs England rugby union international at Croke Park, Dublin, in 2007 there was widespread trepidation. How would God Save the Queen be received in a ground that was very much part of the Irish struggle for Independence?
In the event it was received with perfect courtesy - so much so that all that worry seemed rather foolish after the event. Ireland is a modern European nation: why should we have expected there to be any trouble?
The Queen's visit to Ireland is passing off in much the same spirit. Though historic, it is essentially ordinary and a little dull, as such visits tend to be.
It leaves the Republican dissidents looking foolish and stuck in a 19th-century variety of nationalism. France and Germany are allies, Poland has cordial relations with both Russia and Germany. Are we really meant to believe that Ireland has been so uniquely wronged that it cannot enjoy a sensible relationship with the United Kingdom?
Meanwhile, the way that God Save the Queen and English kickers are booed in Cardiff and at Murrayfield is surely a sign of an inferiority complex rather than of a confident, modern nationalism.
3 comments:
So is an inferiority complex the legacy of Millenium rule?
Is there no booing of kickers at Twickers? Even if it is the case the Scots and Welsh supporters are particularly ill-mannered towards the English, suspect it is more to do with sporting rivalry than nationalism. It can be compared with the antagonism towards Manchester United felt by supporters of less wealthy clubs.
Oppostion kickers are not routinely booed at Twickenham, no.
Post a Comment