G8 Summit - Tax agenda ominous for Ireland

Symbolically, two faces of Ireland, one positive the other negative, were reflected in yesterday’s historic visit of President Barack Obama to Belfast and the opening of the G8 summit in Co Fermanagh.

The return of America’s First Family to these shores had a warm glow about it. Setting the tone, President Obama’s message to the people of Northern Ireland was upbeat and positive. A wordsmith of great skill, he wove a rich tapestry of the symbolism of peace, recalling how it has improved their lives.

In a powerful address delivered to thousands of students, he emphasised that peace had transformed society in the North, reminding young people from across the political and religious divide that the clenched fist had given way to the open hand, that Ireland was now chic, that young people could travel without encountering roadblocks or soldiers, and that you could befriend or fall in love with whoever you want. But he also warned that divisions still exist, pointing out, for instance, that Catholics and Protestants still had their own schools.