Life

Lynette Fay: In Ireland, north and south, ignorance about Ireland is deafening

It is interesting that to even moot a united Ireland as a potential possibility is a controversial subject... and considered information for and against is not forthcoming – certainly not in any political context

Lynette Fay

Lynette Fay

Lynette is an award winning presenter and producer, working in television and radio. Hailing from Dungannon, Co Tyrone, she is a weekly columnist with The Irish News.

Parts of 'the north' are no more northern than Donegal yet in the psyche of many southerners, they are very separate
Parts of 'the north' are no more northern than Donegal yet in the psyche of many southerners, they are very separate Parts of 'the north' are no more northern than Donegal yet in the psyche of many southerners, they are very separate

THIS year’s Féile an Phobail – West Belfast Festival – was the most successful ever. Since I moved to Belfast 18 years ago, Féile has become an integral part of the summer.

I was invited to participate in the first debate conducted completely through the medium of Irish. The subject was a united Ireland and the role of the Irish language in such an Ireland.

Ironically, since the Brexit vote, a united Ireland is up for debate. We have no idea whether or not this will happen. If it did, though, what would this mean to us? How would life change?

I left Dungannon for Galway in 1996 to escape this place. I found that I didn’t fit in here, because of my love of Irish culture, language, history, sport. I thought that going to Galway would be a homecoming of sorts. It was, but my time in the west also provided a rude awakening. If I had a punt for everyone who asked me which part of Donegal I was from, I could have happily retired without completing a degree.

Donegal is the most northern point of the island of Ireland, but to the right of Donegal we have Derry, then Antrim, both equally northern; however, in the psyche of many southerners, they are very separate.

Are we equally bad, saying that we’re going ‘down south’ when we are in fact travelling further north on the island in order to holiday in beautiful Donegal?

Many people I met in Galway were fascinated by the fact that I was from ‘The North’ – the wee six, the occupied six, the black north, Northern Ireland. I was asked questions day and daily about growing up there. I found their interest encouraging but the detachment from what went on in the north since partition was alarming.

The notion of a united Ireland is a very romantic one. Banba, Caitlín Ní Uallacháin, all romantic names used to refer to this land. Going forward, we have to press the refresh button.

Since 1921, the island of Ireland has been cut in two. The formation of the new state of Northern Ireland was like a lottery. Think about it – it was bonkers! Belcoo remained in the north, Blacklion, a 100-yard walk away, was assigned to the new Irish free state as it was then. It was in a different jurisdiction in the blink of an eye.

This is the scenario all along the border. Do people who have only ever lived in Scotland, Wales, England, Wicklow, Wexford or Cork really understand this? Have they tried? Have they been taught anything about it?

This week, Siobhán MacSweeney who plays Sister Michael in Derry Girls, was interviewed for Joe.co.uk on the subject of identity. Referring to the United Kingdom, she said: "If you have a country who does not understand their own past, who are they?"

In a response to this thread, broadcaster Audrey Carville tweeted that she recently met a Belfast-based teacher who did not know that there were three counties in the province of Ulster which were governed by the Republic. A teacher, responsible for the education of the next generation.

Why are we so afraid to want to be educated about this? In this part of the world – which is not a wee country, by the way – ignorance is deafening.

We either have a polarised identity – green or orange – or we’re somewhere in between until our backs are against the wall, then the tribalism kicks in. Voting patterns of recent years prove this to be true.

The idea of a united Ireland seems interlinked with the question of identity. Or at least, that’s the perception. Those who declare themselves British are understandably not in favour of uniting Ireland. In the same regard, though, if one doesn’t feel British, or 'Northern Irish', why does it appear to be so offensive to declare oneself to be Irish, especially in such a hybrid society?

It is interesting that to even moot a united Ireland as a potential possibility is a controversial subject. Just like partition 100 years ago, there will be people for and against the idea. The arguments are not black and white. It is a grey area and considered information for and against is not forthcoming – certainly not in any political context.

What have we got to lose from openly discussing the subject with each other, asking questions and sourcing different viewpoints and opinions in an effort to come to an informed conclusion?