The Belfast Telegraph tonight reports that a QUB lecturer and a playwright have teamed up to write a play about the black Irish people of Montserrat that will be premiered at the festival. I hope that it is well supported.
It has been noticed that colour bias and racism have increased in Ireland as other forms of conflict have decreased. Although people here are aware of nuances of language when it comes to religion and politics all too often we forget that the language we use in everyday conversation can have offensive racial overtones.
“Black Irish” can have a number of meanings, as discussed on this site.
I have heard “Black Irish” used in respect of those supposedly descended from survivors of the Spanish Armada and more commonly in a pejorative manner referring to people from Northern Ireland or more specifically the Protestants of Northern Ireland – but here we have the expression used with propriety about members of the diaspora that I supect many would not welcome should they wish to return.
It’s good to see writing that reaches out beyond our parochial political and religious differences. This play seems, in the light of recent events, to be particularly well timed and the West Belfast Festival is surely an excellent choice of venue for the premiere.
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