One big happy nuclear family
There is a sense deep down in most Irish persons that we've lost part of our identity since the Brits used to dominate us. There was a real sense of community back in the days when the whole village would head out at night together to lynch the bailiff or burn down a big Protestant house. We were one big happy family.
It was like the Seventies all over again last week when Britain announced it would be building six more nuclear power plants. We were a nation once again united against nuclear power (whatever it is and however it actually works) and three-eyed fish. We've seen The Simpsons and we know that nuclear power plants are big things that leak fluorescent green stuff and are run by idiots like Homer Simpson and there's no way we're allowing Britain to carry on that kind of thing. All we were missing was Christy Moore, to put the nation's pain into a catchy song.
Instead, we had to make do with Dermot Ahern, who represents the parish nearest Sellafield and thus is regarded as having a moral right to object on our behalf to nuclear power plants (whatever they are and whatever they do).
As usual with the Fianna Fail boys, who talk a good talk and stick it to the Brits about these things, Dermot's anger seemed hollow. He was mad alright. He told us so. And what was he going to do it about it? Legal action? Well no, not that. Well, maybe, but he wasn't prepared to say right now. So what then? Well, not sure really.
Could it be that, like the rest of us, Dermot has realised that nuclear power is the only solution to the energy crisis, to our over-reliance on oil and to fossil fuels causing global warming and whatnot? If he has, he's not saying. Better to have a good go at the Brits. And while we're at it, if we are entering into a new age of nuclear power, could we then, for God's sake, teach Brian Dobson to say 'new-clear', as against 'new-killer'?
- Brendan O'Connor
