Mattie McGrath warns Ireland is losing its heritage
Mattie McGrath spoke about Irish heritage, language and the legacy of 1916, arguing that government actions are undermining national culture. He criticised moves away from neutrality, accused the government of neglecting iconic sites like the GPO, and warned migration and other changes are altering Ireland.
The speaker recalled the Eamon Wulfen Pipe Band from Argentina appearing in Tipperary at the Leam Lynch National Commemoration at Copa de Blinohin and thanked the post for arranging a tour and allowing a performance. He used the event to emphasise Irishness, culture and heritage, invoking traditional phrases from the speech.
He urged that the iconic building of 1960 and the GPO be preserved as a museum and a semi-sacred space to remind politicians of the sacrifices made by brave men and women. He described the bloodshed and the stand taken to "free us from Perla" and said current actions risk betraying what those people fought for in 1916.
The speaker accused the Taoiseach of treating neutrality as outdated and said the government is "putting money into the European army now." He questioned the Taoiseach's whereabouts during these debates and argued that politicians appear to be acting for international agencies rather than serving the Irish people under the Constitution.
He warned that migration and other changes are "changing our country... changing our culture completely," describing the shift as fatal and a betrayal of national identity. The speaker said people are waking up to these changes and framed his remarks as a wake-up call to protect language, heritage and culture.
Heritage and commemorations
The speaker recalled the Eamon Wulfen Pipe Band from Argentina appearing in Tipperary at the Leam Lynch National Commemoration at Copa de Blinohin and thanked the post for arranging a tour and allowing a performance. He used the event to emphasise Irishness, culture and heritage, invoking traditional phrases from the speech.
Iconic buildings and the 1916 legacy
He urged that the iconic building of 1960 and the GPO be preserved as a museum and a semi-sacred space to remind politicians of the sacrifices made by brave men and women. He described the bloodshed and the stand taken to "free us from Perla" and said current actions risk betraying what those people fought for in 1916.
Neutrality and defence concerns
The speaker accused the Taoiseach of treating neutrality as outdated and said the government is "putting money into the European army now." He questioned the Taoiseach's whereabouts during these debates and argued that politicians appear to be acting for international agencies rather than serving the Irish people under the Constitution.
Cultural change and migration
He warned that migration and other changes are "changing our country... changing our culture completely," describing the shift as fatal and a betrayal of national identity. The speaker said people are waking up to these changes and framed his remarks as a wake-up call to protect language, heritage and culture.
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Transcript
Margaret, I too wanted to support this motion the other night, so I must be excited with the questions, but the theme of it is very, very important. Are we going to abandon our forefathers and our foremothers, our people of our heritage? We had the Eamon Wulfen Pipe Band from Argentina here in Tipperary at the Leam Lynch National Commemoration at Copa de Blinohin. And I thank that post because they obliged by giving him a tour in there and allowing him to play in there. And it was a wonderful occasion. And, of course, our Irishness and our culture and our heritage. And Thirgann Thanga, Thirgann Annam. And indeed, sold. Where is the sold of this government? I believe it's all over the world. Where is he tonight, the Taoiseach? Timbuktu, somewhere in Japan or China. It doesn't matter. It's not Tipperary and it's not Cork, it's not Ireland. And we seem to be acting for the WF and many other agencies, not serving the people under the Constitution that all brave men and women fought for in that building. That's an iconic building and I think it has to be held as a museum and a semi-sacred space and have it there to remind our politicians that this is Ireland. We represent the Irish people. We're not leaders of the world. Our neutrality is an outdated concept according to the Taoiseach. We're putting money into the European army now. God knows what next. So I believe it's time for a wake-up call here regarding our language, our heritage, our culture and indeed the iconic building of 1960 and the GPO and all that went on there and the brave men and women and the bloodshed that was there. But the stand they took to free us from Perla, what are we doing now? We're changing our country with migration and everything else, changing our culture completely. We're trying to turn ourselves inside out and that is really, really bad and it's fatal and people are waking up to it and need you to be exhausted. And why would they be exhausted with that? Because I think it's a total betrayal of what the men and women of 1916 fought for in that building and all over Ireland as well. Thank you. Thank you.