There is, as yet, no such thing as “the Irish People” but rather a succession of Peoples, each of which has contributed to the making of Ireland today. Some of these Peoples have long since been absorbed into the stock of succeeding inhabitants of this island, others have changed considerably since they first came to these shores while still others remain identifiably distinct from, if to an extent inter-related to, the other Peoples of this land. If, in the future, we are able to talk of the Irish People it will only be because we have come to share our histories and cultures to such an extent that we have achieved true identification with one another. Without demeaning any culture or heritage and without any form of cultural imperialism taking place, that is a goal towards, which, we as Christians, can work. A truly pluralist* society is one in which all traditions are honoured and owned; not merely one in which they are tolerated or, even worse, patronised.

Equally, even though Ireland is a geographical island it is not a cultural one. Other Peoples have, played a significant role, for good and ill, in the affairs and history of this land. The English, Welsh and Scottish come readily to mind. So too do the North Americans, both Canadians, often from Ulster Protestant stock, and Irish-Americans, often from Irish Catholic backgrounds. The French, Spanish, Portuguese; Dutch, and Austrian nations have played their part as have the many millions who belong to the Irish Diaspora**. When we add these to the Peoples of Ireland among whom the most obvious are the Irish Celts, the Ulster Scots, the Anglo-Irish and the Old English, with Huguenot as well as Norse influences still occasionally discernible, we realise that Ireland is, and has been for centuries a melting pot of Peoples, cultures and nations.

In looking at our history we need to recognise that Ireland belongs to none of these groups: It belongs to God. “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it.” (Psalm 24: 1) Under God’s sovereignty, it belongs now to all the Peoples who inhabit it; there can be no question of one People being more welcome than any other. That having been said, we must recognise where, in our pasts, our communities have imposed themselves on one another, at times ousting other communities from the land. We are all here now; that doesn't mean to say that any of us got here without trampling on those who were here before us.

The long-lost pre-Celtic inhabitants of Ireland were the only people to occupy an empty land; we must all admit that our origins as well as parts of our histories owe too much to oppression. Equally, we must all be gracious in forgiving those who have oppressed us. Once again, this is not the easy way, but it is the way of the Kingdom of God.

With regard to the Irish Peoples relationships with other Peoples and nations, there is much ground to be covered. The truth is seldom as simple as we would like it to be. Here too, we have all sinned and we have all sinned against. We are not looking for heroes and villains; just for honest forgiveness, repentance and reconciliation. In admitting our own sins and in forgiving others we can all be set free to enjoy new and creative relationships.

* pluralism - a (condition of) society in which different ethnic, groups etc, preserve their own customs, or hold equal power.

** diaspora - dispersion, used collectively for the dispersed Jews after the Babylonian captivity, and also in the apostolic age for the Jews living outside of Palestine, now, for Jews outside Israel. Also used as a similar dispersion or migration of other peoples or communities.