Irish Examiner view: Creating divisions in communities

At a protest against plans to move asylum seekers into the north Cork town, a councillor said of those who were renting property to asylum seekers: 'They are worse than the English landlords of decades ago. Their behaviour is as bad as any drug cartel. Shame on them.'

It’s been a trying few days for landlords, or at least the public perception of landlords.

Earlier this week, a court in Cork was told that the term “landlord” itself still had connotations in Kerry — “in the post-1847 era,” as the defence solicitor put it — while those renting out accommodation came under fire in Fermoy.

At a protest against plans to move asylum seekers into the north Cork town, a councillor said of those who were renting property to asylum seekers: “They are worse than the English landlords of decades ago. Their behaviour is as bad as any drug cartel. Shame on them.

“Government has a lot to answer for, but these people are the biggest traitors out of everyone, the way they are selling out communities.” 

Readers may differ on whether those housing asylum seekers can be compared to drug cartels, but the language used in Fermoy is disturbing, particularly the use of the word “traitor”.

This is a term favoured by far-right agitators seeking to demonise those they disagree with. When deployed in this context, it offers a prefabricated excuse for violence — appealing, as it does, to a counterfeit sense of patriotism.

The councillor involved is a member of Fianna Fáil, as are the two local representatives in Galway, who reprimanded by their party for comments around asylum seekers, following a fire at the Ross Lake House Hotel.

Internal party discipline is a matter for Fianna Fáil but, if its elected representatives are enflaming an already volatile situation, it may soon become a matter for An Garda Síochána. The latter body has its hands full already, with Commissioner Drew Harris now involved in a disagreement with the Government over whether gardaí are getting proper communication over new asylum centres.

This breakdown in communication is being exploited by those creating division and fear in our communities, some of whom should know better.

Stars' selective expression

Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald took an unusual position in an interview with this newspaper this week, criticising former Ireland soccer international Robbie Keane for continuing to coach Israel’s Maccabi Tel Aviv given events in Gaza.

Asked if Keane had made the right decision, McDonald said: “No, I don’t think he has and I know some people say sport and politics shouldn’t mix, but I would say sport and genocide shouldn’t mix... I think sporting people, sporting heroes, have such an influence and such a reach. So I would encourage everybody of influence to make the right calls and the right choices.” Politicians are often wary of criticising sports figures, as the popularity of the latter usually dwarfs the former, and the percentages don’t favour kicking people who are idolised by thousands.

But McDonald is entirely correct in dismissing the tired cliche that sports and politics don’t mix, as a cursory glance at the sports pages shows how flimsy that defence is.

From the LIV Golf tour to the Qatar World Cup and on to the funding of Newcastle United and various other sports organisations, sportswashing is rampant across the world as governments seek to rinse their reputations clean through the distraction of sport.

For many who follow sport a wilful ignorance of the wider issues is the only way to enjoy their favoured competitions, but we are surely entitled to fuller engagement from those who are directly involved in such enterprises.

Keane has been unwilling to discuss his position in the context of the conflict in Gaza, saying that he has no wish to get involved in politics. His reluctance to articulate his position does him no favours, however, and perpetuates the lazy perception that sportspeople don’t hold political opinions because they are so focused on their chosen sport.

This gives a fool’s pardon to sportspeople and also points up a basic contradiction: Why are sportspeople not asked to express political opinions when so many of them are willing to express other opinions when it comes to their own personal advantage?

Implications here 

The term “unprecedented” has been used innumerable times since Donald Trump lumbered into politics, but this week brought a true watershed in the former president’s career.

The Colorado Supreme Court was the first court in the US to rule that Trump is disqualified from holding office because he engaged in insurrection against the US Constitution after taking an oath to support it.

Under the ruling Trump’s name cannot be on the state’s Republican primary ballot, though it does not make provision for the presidential election per se. Trump’s legal team has already indicated it will appeal this seismic ruling to the US Supreme Court, which is itself a political move.

The court is heavily conservative thanks to Trump appointees and has been widely criticised in recent years both on the basis of actions such as overturning the Roe v Wade judgement on abortion.

The general impression is of a chaotic, feverish political scene, but that does not mean we in Ireland can sit back and enjoy the spectacle. The many ties between this country and the US mean the upcoming presidential campaign has huge implications here.

The US’s economic influence here is enormous, obviously, but given the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine, the wavering US commitment to Ukraine, and recent revelations about Russia testing Irish naval defences, do we need to consider the security implications for Ireland of the next US president?

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