Newspaper Article

Some Irish Eyes Smile - in Spite of It All

Sean Callery. Sean Callery, a Brooklyn resident, writes frequently for American magazines and newspapers

1998

Overview

THE FUNNY part of tragedy and the sadness underlying comic events - these have always been staples of Irish theater and storytelling. The peace process in Northern Ireland in some ways resembles a charade - shifting positions and sentiments punctuated by deaths. Overlooked in most accounts of current events in Ireland are the sentiments of moderate Protestants and Catholics. They are a large majority and want peace above all else. But civil war, death and sectarian hatred make better stories. The reality is that the Irish Republican Army and fringe Protestant paramilitary groups are no more representative of the northern Irish people than the Klan or black extremists were of our own South. Harps, shamrocks, orange sashes, bowler hats and the Union Jack are the old symbols of hostility that have troubled Ireland for centuries. But the peace makers among the ordinary people of Ireland are also proving adept at spectacles showing what they want. Let's talk about the Irish expressing their desire for a serene society.

• Publisher: Newsday LLC