Regular readers (why some of you remain regular readers, I don’t know, but thank you) who get annoyed with me for my occasional critiques of Irish right-leaning nationalism do so in part for a good reason: Because whatever else you might say about “Irish patriot” “McGregor for the Park” types, they do genuinely seek to challenge and threaten the very comfortable establishment that has governed the Republic of Ireland for the entirety of its independence. They actually want change. Real change.
The political establishment, for its part, recognises this. Which is why they are so offended by Conor McGregor “making a show” of Ireland on the international stage, but have absolutely not one single word to say about Kneecap, the Belfast trio who are making a name for themselves on the world stage by trying to make the IRA cool again.
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