Letter: Misunderstanding the Irish identity
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Sir: Marjorie Daunt (Letters, 9 December) mistakes the relationship between politics and identity when she writes that 'the Irish were British before they became 'foreigners' in 1921'.
As a second-generation Irish person who is comfortable with an Irish identity in an English context, I take issue with her attempt to define identity purely in terms of political territory.
Some people are born British. Irish people born after 1921 have been known to achieve Britishness, passing some notional quality test that allows certain sections of the media to label them as made in Britain. Others have had Britishness thrust upon them by Ms Daunt.
Her generalisation about Irish identity is, at best, unhelpful. For Irish people born before 1921 and for Irish people born in this country, the adjective British is a wholly inadequate term of reference.
Yours sincerely,
SIOBHAN HOLLAND
Leeds
10 December
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments