Madam, – I am writing in relation to the visit of President Obama and the clamour by every town and village from Mizen to Malin to either lay claim to him or have him stop by for a swift half!
How come they’re not that welcoming to the thousands of immigrants and asylum seekers who have landed on our shores? I find it funny that the red carpet and the céad mile fáilte will be rolled out for this particular black man when he visits Ireland, but where is it for the other men and women of colour?
No doubt there will be the meetings to assist the undocumented in the US, but what about the limbo the thousands of foreigners find themselves in here? How come a man from New Zealand with a great-granny from Donegal can get an Irish passport when a person from Nigeria who has been here for two decades, and who has paid taxes and has Irish-born children, cannot?
We all know this is not a land of equals but let’s face facts: racism is alive and well in Ireland.
The image of a black man looking at the contributions made to Ireland by the “new Irish” would be very welcome. We are told by the politicians that it’s time for a New Ireland and a New Republic. Well, let’s have a look at it.
I understand the argument for the trip to promote tourism and yes, we need revenue, but surely time can be made for President Obama to visit the other side of Irish life? – Yours, etc,
Madam, – The forthcoming visit of President Obama to Ireland may not be the panacea that the tourist business needs, but it can hardly do the country much harm.
Brendan McMahon (March 24th) states “It is hard to see how Ireland is going to gain any additional publicity for its leg of the trip”.
As a contributing editor to Fodor's Ireland 2011and the writer of the Midlands section, I feel it is worth placing on record that this year's book carries a 30-line entry on Moneygall and the Obama connection. Each year more than 50,000 readers use Fodor's Irelandand many more visit its website (www.fodors.com). The Ireland book is the No 2 best-selling title in the Fodor's list of 600 destinations published by Random House. More importantly, as one of the leading and oldest (Fodor's is celebrating its 75th anniversary this year) brand names in international guides, it is hugely influential for tourists – especially Americans – in choosing where to go when they come to Ireland. Next year's book will also cover the Presidential visit.
Given the present economic difficulties, one would have thought that even the begrudgers would have welcomed this sort of free publicity; Fodor’s, of course, is only one of more than 20 worldwide guides to Ireland that will cover the Obama-Moneygall link and I would suggest the spin-off could be incalculable.
Isn’t it time to support the people of Offaly, shout a few hurrahs, and wish them good luck for bringing in some tourists to a town with a population of 298 that the world had never heard of two years ago? – Yours, etc,