The trouble with turbans and a multicultural policy that has failed

STUDENTS: don’t you just love them? Back in 1997 I was invited to UCC to debate that hoary old chestnut “This House wants a United Ireland”. After being noisily harangued by all the usual suspects for not wanting a million people coerced against their will, one young woman addressed me in the gentlest voice.

“Mr King, I am not Sinn Féin like those people behind me. In fact, I detest what the Provisional IRA has done to our country. But do you not think that if we had full independence, we could keep Ireland white and Christian. Surely not even Protestants want our country to go the same way as England?”

She said it in the sweetest possible way and, judging from her crucifix, I took her to be a very sincere Catholic girl. I really wanted to help, I really did. This was the worst kind of nationalism dusted with icing sugar.