Let’s stop knocking our own

INCLUDED in the guest list on the final “Late Late Show” of 2011 were Gabriel Byrne, Diarmuid Gavin, CT Wilkinson and the RTÉ concert Orchestra. All are Irish.

When the show finished my heart was pounding. I was proud to be Irish. Here are some of our own, who against all the odds have punched above their weight and made it to the top in this extraordinarily difficult world. They are not the only ones. We have the two best rugby teams in Europe. We have our international soccer team joint top of its qualifying group. We have Robbie Keane beating Bobby Charlton’s international goal scoring record for Ireland and Britain.

U2 are recognised as the world’s greatest rock group. We have Mary Byrne who never gave up her dream. We have Katie Taylor, the best female boxer in the world, and Olympic silver medallist Kenny Egan.

We have the traders in the English market, who are proud to be Irish, promote Irish, and serve Irish and did Cork proud. Our cricket team is knocking the world for six and our actors and actresses are legendary.

Our school kids are amazing in the young scientist of the year. Our entrepreneurs and their ideas will be the creators of our future home-grown jobs. Our research scientists are at the cutting edge in the world markets and our farmers produce the best beef in the world.

No one can compare with our horse trainers in the equine world. Our doctors and nurses give all for their patients and their country and not always appreciated. Our communities, local clubs, the GAA, tidy towns committees, writers, artists and creative thinkers are head and shoulders over their equivalents in most other countries. We must hope, we must strive, we must never give up and we must believe.

That’s why recent criticism of Diarmuid Gavin and his hanging garden is just wrong. Gavin is an icon in his field and a credit to Ireland. He is one of the inspirational, artistic, outside-the-box thinkers that we should be embracing instead of chopping him off at the knees.

He won a gold medal for his creation at the most prodigious flower show in the world. We now have a chance to use this garden to our advantage and encourage tourists to visit Cork City, view the Gold Medal Garden and not only get our investment back, but also make a profit. President Barack Obama was on the money when he said “Is Feidir Linn”. That will only happen when we recognise, appreciate and encourage our native talent. Let’s stop knocking our own.

Rom Hyde

Crosshaven

Co Cork