Madam, – It was with a deep, yet familiar, sense of sadness that I read Brendan Landers’s article “Misery of the Returned Emigrant” (Opinion, February 11th).
I represent the fourth generation of my family to have emigrated, but I am the first generation to have chosen freely to emigrate: my wife and I moved to China two years ago in search of better opportunities, not simply any opportunity. My childhood was spent in the US and Canada because my parents, well-educated and hard-working, could not find any outlet at home for their abilities.
Now back from Asia, I expected my foreign experience to be of some benefit in the Irish economy. I find instead that the same spectre of necessary exile hangs over me, as it haunted my parents, grandparents and great-grandparents.
Mr Landers has identified the root cause of this cycle of sad farewells: it is the closed and corrupt circles of the powerful that hold sway in this State. But he is wrong to dismiss any hope of a change: we still have the power to reward those in public office, from any party, who show integrity, honesty, and patriotism.
The only chance this nation has of a bright future is to break with the past. We must vote in the next election not for those whom our grandparents would have supported, but rather for those that would create a better Ireland for our grandchildren.
If we lack the bravery to break with inherited political beliefs, then many of us, and our children, and many generations yet to come will regret our cowardice, in exile. – Yours, etc,
EOIN McDONNELL,
Oldcastle Road,
Kells,
Co Meath.