A chara, – I believe The Irish Times, along with many other media outlets, has given a disproportionate amount of extended sports time regarding the supposed success of Ireland playing under the symbol of another's national sports emblem, the British Lion.
It has been my sour and dismaying experience that, as an international business traveller, this is the way the rest of the world views such an archaic event as a British Lions tour supported by sporting body from another country, who in reality, should have no national association with the British lion.
We are happy it seems to throw away our national identify and join the great Commonwealth circus on the trek to South Africa under another nation’s symbol for some sporting reason that is confusing to any EU, American or Middle East business person that I encounter while abroad.
Why does this matter? Many of us in business have built strong personal relationships abroad where our Irish nationality is vital to maintaining such relationships. When we embrace any event, such as a sporting event, that requires us to take on another nation’s identity, we lose respect in the eyes of the viewing world.
If we cannot maintain our own identity as nation then we do not respect ourselves. If we lose the respect of other nations then it gets harder to achieve international business.
Plainly and simply we are viewed as British, and the Lions tour, plus our nation’s global embrace of it, just substantiates the view.
Not one of my many international business acquaintances understands our national desire to don the “red jersey” under the symbol of the British lion. They ask me why the French or the Italians are not involved in these tours? What is the rationale? I cannot explain this act of apparent low self-esteem, Finally as a test, Google “British Lions” and look at the results – the tour packages, the South African papers. They predominantly regard the tour as the British Lions Tour.
Ireland it seems, rejoins the British Commonwealth for a while. – Is mise,
Madam, – After such a strong showing of the Irish on the current Lions team, can I appeal to John Feehan, CEO of the Lions to change the name of the team to “The Irish and British Lions”, forthwith. – Yours, etc,