|
Volume 1 (1999/2000)
Issue
1 (March 1999)
Issue
2 (Nov. 1999)
Issue 3 (Dec. 1999)
Issue 4 (Feb. 2000)
Issue 5 (March 2000)
Issue 6 (April 2000)
Issue
7 (May 2000)
Volume 2 (2000/2001)
Issue 1 (Sept. 2000)
Issue 2 (Oct. 2000)
Issue 3 (Jan. 2001)
Issue 4 (March 2001)
Issue 5 (April 2001)
Issue 6 (May 2001)
Volume 3 (2001)
Issue 1 (Sept. 2001)
Issue 2 (Nov. 2001)
Categories
Sport: 1
2 3
Lifestyles: 1 2
3
Commentary: 1 2
3
Review: 1 2
3
Writing: 1 2
3
Event: 1 2
3
|
Grrr-eed
in the Eye of the Tiger
Barry Lysaght
Glenstal Abbey, Limerick
About a year ago, my father
was woken up at around midnight by a frenzied knocking at our front door.
On opening, he was met by a boy of about 16 or 17, shivering and wet.
He was muddied, out of breath and pleading to be let in. He told my father
that he had been at the local nightclub when three other lads attacked
him. They were kicked out but had waited outside, and while he was leaving
at the end, they attacked him again - this time with knives. He managed
to run away, but they gave chase. He had spent at least half an hour running
across the muddy fields, with no idea of where he was going, before ending
up, bewildered, at our doorstep. My father drove him home, and he has
never returned to the nightclub since.
This sort of incident, while
brutal and shocking, is nothing new. Fighting at nightclubs is just one
of numerous social problems, which have been steadily escalating in Meath
since the Celtic Tiger, began taking its first steps a decade ago. As
Kathryn Holmquist wrote of the modern country: "In Celtic Tiger Ireland,
it’s every man for himself and nobody really cares". But why would an
economic boom carry such an aftershock?
The emergence of the Celtic
Tiger, while having solved many deep-rooted Irish problems such as emigration,
unemployment and bad social conditions, has also introduced some new ones
of its own. Yesterday’s storm clouds have cleared, and society now finds
itself in the unfamiliar position of looking at a truly clear horizon.
This awareness has initiated a major upheaval in the attitudes of Irish
people, and particularly those in Meath, who suddenly discover that there
is nothing they have to fight for anymore. All the goals they had struggled
for were simultaneously swept away by a magical swoop of the tiger’s paw,
and life became strangely easy, even too easy.
Meath, the heart of Ireland’s
ancient heritage, has flourished, with attractions like Newgrange, Tara
and the refurbished Trim Castle experiencing a wave of attention like
never before. Money has poured into the area as a result, and associated
industries like hotels, restaurants, transport and shops have all prospered.
Overall, the people of the Royal County have never had it so good, and
they know it. They can sit back and rest on their laurels, feeling little
or no need to get out and about in the world and make things happen for
themselves. The all-conquering Celtic Tiger is doing it for them.
And sure, why not? Was it
not these same people who fought long and hard throughout Ireland’s dark
ages to get us to where we are today, on the pig’s (or should I say) tiger’s
back?
Maybe so. But as any soccer
fan will tell you, the worst thing to do when your team scores is to sit
back and defend Ð that is only inviting disaster to strike. However,
it is this very same mentality of 'quitting while we're ahead' that is
causing a downward spiral in the attitudes of these once concerned, open-minded
and relentlessly diligent people. It seems to me that the Celtic Tiger
has produced a sizeable litter of fat cats. With no more economic problems
to combat, motivation has become superfluous, and so have - it appears
- our morals. As WB Yeats once wrote ominously, "We had fed the heart
on fantasies, but the fantasies of culture we inherited were of dependency,
inadequacy, complacency and passivity".
The once warm and committed
social spirit of Meath is being eroded, and gradually replaced by an embittered
and sceptical cynicism. The refugee population of Meath is regarded cautiously
and often coldly, and visitors are increasingly being assessed solely
by the weight of their wallets. So much so, that tourists are no longer
experiencing the land of cead mile failte, but rather 'an atmosphere,
which is almost rude, brusque and indifferent' (Irish Times 1/4/99). Despite
this, a recent study forecast that annual earnings from tourism are due
to rise from £2.3 billion to £3.5 billion by 2006. The new attitude seems
to be that "it’s in the bag", so why bother being personable about it?
The behaviour of the Celtic
kittens isn’t anything to purr about either. The sad story beginning this
article is only one of many, as the young people of Meath seem to be rapidly
degenerating into violence born of idleness. If 'the Devil finds work
for idle hands' then he must be building up quite a workforce. The Children
of the Tiger are living in an era of unprecedented prosperity - but in
an equally unprecedented moral vacuum also. They squander money (be it
from their parents or their own part-time jobs) on going out every weekend,
getting drunk, causing trouble and often paying for the consequences of
their misbehaviour. The overbearing influence of money is increasingly
stifling the voice of moral and community values and consequently, the
offences are getting worse. The need for a Rape Crisis Centre in Meath
has been described as 'desperate' (The Meath Chronicle), as the number
of rape victims has grown alarmingly within the past 18 months. Until
proper measures are taken to stem the flow of these bored youngsters turning
to violence for thrills, the lost victims will keep turning up on our
doorsteps, and the moral freefall will continue.
The huge influx of money the
Celtic Tiger has supplied to Meath is most definitely at the root of the
attitude problems we face today. While it has remedied many substantial
difficulties faced previously, it has been at the expense of our sense
of community and togetherness, which once characterized us and made us
unique. Meath has leapt out of the frying pan, and into the fire and we’re
feeling the warmth before the burn.
'Getting and spending,
We lay waste
our powers
Little we see in Nature
That is ours
We have given our hearts away
A sordid boon'.
William Wordsworth
Back to the top
|