A chara, – Ireland has been a nation of charitable givers for generations – it stretches back to the times of the Famine in our collective psyche, which is why per capita we are one of the highest donors of aid to disaster areas around the world.
I think this is great. It is one of the things I like most about us Irish people and Irishness.
However, I think it’s time for us to start taking our own charity.
For some reason we (Irish people) give generously of our time and our money – volunteering, making collections, running race nights and raffles - when people are proposing a scheme to transport goats to Africa or aid to Asia.
There’s something that makes us feel selfless, perhaps even slightly grandiose about giving to those with who have nothing.
I’m not questioning charity for the third world, but what I’m proposing is giving some of the money we donate to those who are in need much closer to home.
In these times, aid to our own is more important than ever – in fact it’s desperately needed.
A hungry or disadvantaged person in Ireland is as deserving as a hungry and disadvantaged person in Africa, Asia or anywhere on the planet.
– Is mise,