Well I have said above:

“What I say… is fragmentary. … . There are many nuances, paradoxes, shadows, and yes intolerable abuses in the Irish situation that cannot be captured here.”

We are all fallen and every collectivity of people, every nation is fallen – in often very different ways.

I don´t feel I am completely blind to the ways Ireland and the Irish are fallen too.

Yet I find it hard indeed not to stand by what I said above. I indicated I had lived in several countries, now seven in fact and Ireland stands out in ways that I think many Irish can scarcely imagine.

There is nothing like this community ethic in certain other countries I have lived. And the piety there astonishes me … even after all that has happened. Centuries of devotion and prayer have left something unalterable on this Holy Island.

I am a man in love … in love with your country and of course, love can be blind. I intend to return there as soon as I can. If I am disillusioned, I will let you know : – ) …

As for De Valera, I confess I know hardly enough about him. I am sure he was very fallen too. And in times of war our fallenness can emerge even more ruthlessly. Still his aspiration quoted above strikes me as quite extraordinary.

But one thing I really want and need to do is understand De Valera, the founding of the Irish state and its intensely Catholic and originally non-secular culture far, far better.

On a final note Epsilon, I have little idea how old you are. But one thing I am very interested in is people´s memories of Ireland before secularisation. If you cared to blog about that I would be very interested. Or if you have done already, let me know!

I ask and I get different responses. Some say terrible poverty. Others point to a community ethic and piety far stronger than even Ireland today!

And as I say even Ireland today takes my breath away …

With the founding of the Irish Free State, De Valera and others took Ireland down such a different route to other Anglophone countries, so united to the faith, so not buying into secularist ideology. It is important to me to understand how this shaped people in very different ways than the other Anglophone countries I have lived in, Britain and America.

And lastly regarding your other comment:

“I too have been influenced by new-ageism – anyone with a sense of spirituality in the last 40 years where the Catholic Church was banalised beyond belief has bound to have been imho:) Thank God we can now find true expression of spirituality within some of the Church’s walls. …

I really don’t think we’re alone in this – I hope and pray that God will forgive us for taking so long to realise how much our minds were colonised.”

Yes banalised beyond belief is tragically true. And in search of Mystery many turned to the New Age.

Thank you again for this enriching our site with your perception, unknown friend.

I don’t mean to be negative and thank you for reminding me here about the good characteristics of many Irish people.