British Unionism In Ireland – The White Man’s Burden

The political ideology of British Unionism in Ireland as personified by Tom Elliott, the former leader of the UUP and member of the Orange Order, as reported by the Fermanagh Herald: 

“UUP MLA Tom Elliott, has questioned if Fermanagh District Council are attempting to hire an Irish language officer ‘by a disingenuous method’.

The MLA was responding to a recent job advertisement opened by the council for an ‘Assistant Good Relations Officer (with responsibility for linguistics, ethnic minorities and cultural expression)’.

The job role indicates that a 3rd level qualification with a major component in Irish Language is ‘essential’ criteria, as is ‘proficient and fluent in Irish, both written and oral’.

Mr Elliott said: “I assumed this was for the linguistic officer that has been talked about. Why would there be a required essential criteria of such high level of Irish qualifications and knowledge and not for any other language? The job description actually talks about having responsibility for ethnic minorities, but no ethnic minority language requirement?”

He added that it ‘sounds like Fermanagh District Council is attempting to employ an Irish Language officer by a disingenuous method. The name of the post does not reflect the essential criteria requirement’.

Mr Elliott claimed it was another attempt to make unionists feel unwelcome in the county…”

Equality? Parity of esteem? Where are those things in the lexicon of Unionist politics? That the mainstream leaders of the Unionist minority cannot even bring themselves to recognise the 3000 year old indigenous language of the island nation they live on because it offends their cultural “purity” says all you need to know about the supremacist nature of British nationalism – now or in the past.