Tariq Bey’s Reviews > We Don't Know Ourselves: A Personal History of Modern Ireland > Status Update

Ireland had educational aparthied. School was expensive, upper middle class kids could afford secondary school while the poorer ones could only get primary education. This changed in 1966 when minister of education Donogh O'Malley abruptly announced secondary education would be free, forcing the church & the rest of the governments hands

Christian Brothers schools taught militant nationalism & the story of the long history of oppression to the people of Ireland, helping to plant the seeds of the rising & independence movement.

Ireland is transitory & fluid, with no clear identity, similar to Byrne the actor

Ch7- Gay Byrne & The Late Late Show
His show provided an outlet where people can often anonymously say things that the pious culture wouldn't have otherwise accepted. Byrne himself was a representation of the ideal of the new Irishman, a true entertainer who previously fit in the British entertainment world. While Byrne personally was amicable with the state, the topics on his show often drew him the state's ire.

Kennedy - 'Ireland has only one export and that is people.... other nations of the world, in whom Ireland has long invested her people, are now investing their capital as well as their vacations here in Ireland'
Sounds like PR

"In the rush to claim Kennedy we had to claim all scattered families of ours"
Kennedy visit to Ireland (didn't know his Irishness was so relevant back then), he embodies the cool, young Americanized culture the Irish ppl want to embody. Many of his speeches carry a sentiment of "if we never left, I'd have been like yall. If yall left yall could have been me" meant to be relatable, ends up bittersweet

Irish language was as exotic as spanish

American influence > british once again

TV came at the beginning of 62, more industrializing. Lots of debate followed on what should be shown on TV, the conservative Irish didn't like critical plays about the state, promiscuous subjects & preferred to promote rural Irish culture

Jadotville outcome - Eire humiliated on the global stage; they cant hang militarily and as earlier proven, nor economically. Some soldiers go back for revenge. Eire wants to take on the future, but isnt prepared to