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Terry Prone: Irish identity was riven with irony as the shame was too real to bear

One of the saddest threads running through Ireland's economic stagnation and abject poverty 80 years ago was the paradoxical self-esteem drawn from concealing it
Terry Prone: Irish identity was riven with irony as the shame was too real to bear

An unexamined truth of identity was revealed by last week’s meeting between Taoiseach Micheál Martin and US president Donald Trump in the White House. Picture: Tasos Katopodis/Government of Ireland

Few beliefs have been more damaging to humanity than geographically based pride, and yet it’s still considered a given, and a meritorious one, at that.

In this country, we’re reminded every year on this day, of what amounts to a natural obligation: You were born in Ireland, so you’re proud of being Irish. It’s your identity, after all. How could you not treasure your identity?

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