Wish You Were Here

A Letter from Ireland

a Chara,

What a time to be in Ireland. Summer has arrived. We are three weeks into a mini heat wave. In Ireland, a heat wave means that you don’t need a raincoat.

As the tourism trade moves into full gear, Dublin is buzzing. Buskers are playing to the crowds on Grafton Street, and outdoor pints and lunches are the order of the day. The sun brings out the best in the city and the people. Long may it last.

Tourism is an important industry for Ireland North and South. We have plenty of tourist challenges with sustainability and the approach of some bars and hotels gouging prices. These can and must be addressed.

I was once at a conference and a speaker was describing the Irish Tourism “product”. A local tour guide challenged the speaker that Ireland was not about purchasing a “product”; it was living an “experience”.

We have all sorts of experiences to offer. I live in Dublin and always encourage a trip North to my hometown of Belfast.

Tourism Ireland is an all Island body, established by the Good Friday Agreement. It promotes the whole Island as a tourist destination, and it does a great job. There are no barriers to travel and tourism across Ireland until now.

The British government is planning to introduce an Electronic Travel Authorization. This will require an online application and a £10 fee to enter Britain. This week a British Government minister confirmed that it will also now apply to tourists visiting the North of Ireland.

So you can land in Dublin and travel the 26 counties without a visa but will have to apply for an ETA to travel into the North. This program will be in place by 2025. Details of how it will be policed have not been released. At a minimum, it will deter most day-trippers from going North.

The British imposed this policy against the wishes of the people in the North and without consultation with the Irish Government. The British government does as the British Government pleases without any consideration to the impact on the economy or needs of the people of the North.

This has been the way of the British Government on Brexit, dealing with the legacy of conflict, and protecting the rights of all. They abandon their partnership working with the Irish Government and do not believe they are bound by international laws or agreements. This latest move is just another example.

British governments come and go. I look forward to when they are gone for good from Ireland, and when we will welcome you to a new and united Ireland.

I’m away to enjoy the sunshine, and I wish you were here.

Have a great weekend.

Is mise,

Ciarán

Ciarán Quinn is the Sinn Féin Representative to North America. Each week he writes a letter from Ireland with news and analysis. It is featured in the weekly Friends of Sinn Féin USA Newsletter. Be sure you are subscribed to stay up to date.