Irish Examiner View: So much positive change in one century

Barack Obama’s A Promised Land sold nearly 890,000 copies in America or Canada in its first 24 hours, putting it on track to be the best-selling White House memoir of modern times. 

Michelle Obama’s Becoming sold 725,000 copies on its first day and has topped 10m since 2018. These sales may justify publishers Crowns reported $60m investment.

One of the themes in A Promised Land and Obama’s two-term presidency is an unshakeable hope that our better angels will prevail that the curve of humanity’s achievements is nearly always climbing. 

Two unrelated events today confirm that in the most graphic, reassuring ways.

Today marks the centenary of Dublin’s Bloody Sunday when, after the IRA killed 15 British intelligence officers in the city that morning, British forces opened fire on a Croke Park crowd, killing 14 civilians. 

Those horrific events have left an indelible mark on our history and retain a deep, provocative presence in strands of our culture.

Yet, for all that, a 32-county Irish rugby team goes to Twickenham this afternoon to play England. 

It seems significant, and it should not be underestimated, that the only rancour anticipated may come from a mercenary Australian currently coaching England.

Obama has a view of what constitutes a promised land but this afternoon most Irish people would settle for derailing the swing-low-sweet-chariot. 

What change in just a century.