Wexford defends its Norman heritage following comments from Sinn Féin TD – ‘We're well capable of commemorating our ancestry with sensitivity'

Many of those events will take place across Co Wexford as places like New Ross, Carrig-on-Bannow, and Wexford town mark the legacy of the Normans since their arrival to Ireland over 900 years ago.
However, Dublin South Central TD Aengus Ó Snodaigh, has criticised the decision to take part in the celebrations, asking if this will be a precursor to 'a Festival of Cromwell or a Famine Queen Jubilee?'
'William was a foreign king who never set foot in Ireland, and had nothing to do with Ireland, and yet his birth will be given a higher honour than bestowed by an Irish Government on any figure from Gaelic Irish history,' said the Sinn Féin TD. 'This is not a commemoration for Ireland. Marking the birth of a future English king is not for us, even if it was 1,000 years ago.
'Of course we should acknowledge, protect, take pride in the rich architectural, cultural, and literary heritage that stands testament to Anglo-Norman Ireland, which lives on today in surnames and songs, and celebrate those brave Irish heroes of Norman descent who rebelled against the imperial yoke of England, as early as the 1360s through to the Desmond Rebellion through to United Irishman Lord Edward Fitzgerald, in whose Leinster House our Dáil now meets, and beyond.
'We should make the most of Ireland's Norman heritage to boost tourism, to create jobs, to support communities, and reinforce links with families tracing their Norman Irish roots and with other places who share a Norman heritage, but celebrating England's William the Conqueror, however, is a step too far.'
At the June meeting of Wexford County Council (WCC), following confirmation that the council was in contact with Normandy regarding events for 2027, Deputy Ó Snodaigh's remarks were discussed in the chamber by Councillors Lisa McDonald and John Fleming.
'His comments were unpalatable and unfortunate,' said Cllr McDonald, 'we've proven that we're well capable of commemorating our ancestry with sensitivity.'
'I've never heard such negative, dour comments, I can't understand it,' added Cllr Fleming. 'We're proud of New Ross and its Norman connections, Hook Head, Tintern Abbey, and we have the Norman Visitor Centre coming next year. Now we have some silly comments trying to put a stop to that. '
Director of services Eamonn Hore took time to clarify his feelings on the matter, admitting that it had taken him a while to 'calm down' when he'd first read the deputy's statement.
'If he wants to come down to Wexford we'll show him all that's good about the area and its heritage,' he said. 'And with regards to to Cromwell, Wexford people don't need any history lesson on that. I had a particular problem with him saying this wasn't well-prepared; since 2016 we've had the Norman Way in place and when we invited the president of Normandy to New Ross he was amazed at the influence of the Normans there.
"This is a way for the two regions to celebrate their history and culture – I must say I was very disappointed in what he said.'
Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme.

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

The Journal

2 hours ago

• The Journal

Sinn Féin MEP calls on EU commissioner to withdraw 'deeply inaccurate' remarks about Ireland

SINN FÉIN MEP Kathleen Funchion has called on the EU's foreign commissioner to her withdraw remarks on Ireland's neutrality. During a debate at the European Parliament in Strasbourg on Tuesday on the upcoming Nato summit next week, Funchion criticised the EU's inaction on dealing with Israel's military operations in the Gaza, Iran and other parts of the Middle East. The Ireland South MEP later noted the sovereign right of each member state to choose its own foreign policies and if they participate in military alliances such as Nato. She said that the EU hopes it recognises Ireland's right to maintain its historical neutral stance. 'We in Ireland have a proud history and tradition of UN peacekeeping, and long may that continue,' Funchion said, adding that it was 'important to reference the creeping militarisation into EU politics'. 'This debate has been a combination of maddening and depressing for the past two hours, listening to the vast majority of speakers. I would also remind people that, at its core, the EU is supposed to be a peace project, and we should not move away from this' Other members also voiced concern over the fulfilment of international law obligations in the conflict during the debate and called for a renewed effort to achieve peace in the Middle East and in Ukraine. 'Peace does not mark end of suffering' During her closing remarks, the European Commission Vice President and foreign affairs Commissioner Kaja Kallas said that peace can only be achieved in Ukraine when the aggressor, Russia, is willing to negotiate. She addressed Funchion's remarks and claimed that Ireland had the chance for 'prosperity' in the years following the World War II, while the rest of Europe experienced 'atrocities'. She said, in that context, that a negotiated peace through surrender would not benefit countries under siege by others. Advertisement 'I want to address our Irish colleagues,' Kallas said. 'Peace doesn't mean the human suffering will stop. If you surrender, you [still] have the aggressor. [If] you say, 'Take all that you want', it doesn't mean that human suffering will stop. 'In our experience behind the Iron Curtain [the border between the Soviet Union and Europe during the Cold War] after World War II, countries like Ireland got to build up their prosperity, but for us, it meant atrocities, mass deportations, suppression of our culture and language. 'This is what happens, it is peace – but not freedom. It's not freedom of choice for people. And that is what the EU is all about and that's what we're fighting for.' 'Ill-advised remarks should be withdrawn' The remarks have been criticised as 'deeply inaccurate' by MEP Funchion, who said the vice-president was dismissive of the post-war experience of people on the island of Ireland. Funchion said Kallas' comments were 'ill-advised and deeply insensitive to the experiences of Irish communities still seeking justice to this day'. She added: 'Ireland too endured atrocities, from the Ballymurphy massacre to Bloody Sunday, where innocent civilians were shot and killed by British soldiers. Our people suffered internment without trial, and widespread discrimination in housing and employment, particularly in the North. 'Furthermore, the suppression of Irish language and culture has been an ongoing battle, as evidenced by the decades-long campaign for an Irish Language Act in the North. She added: 'I have written to the vice-president asking her to withdraw her remarks and to acknowledge the reality of Ireland's past.' Kallas' office has been contacted for comment. Includes reporting by Press Association Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal

Irish Independent

3 hours ago

• Irish Independent

IFA raises alarm over CAP as Germany pushes back on bigger EU budget

European People's Party calls for bigger budget to meet new priorities Irish farmers could be caught in the crossfire of a major budget row in Europe, as Germany resists calls for more EU spending while changes to CAP funding threaten to reshape rural incomes. The European Union's next long-term budget must be bigger than the current one, the main political group in the European Parliament said, putting itself on a collision course with the biggest contributor Germany, which does not want any increase.

The Irish Sun

4 hours ago

• The Irish Sun

‘New energy' was a bust – our Government's headless-chickening mirrors a world on fire & their goose is already cooked

4 THE Duracell Bunny is about to keel over. His batteries are on the blink. Advertisement The 'New Energy' promised by former ­Taoiseach, the young pup 4 Now, I'm not blaming Simon and the rest of the Dail ditherers for all of the world's catastrophes Credit: � 2025 PA Media, All Rights Reserved Far from hitting the ground running, the new Away from our shores, Now, I'm not blaming Simon and the rest of the Dail ditherers for any of those catastrophes. Advertisement That would be a bit mad and I'm not quite Looney Tunes yet. Give it time. The impending end of civilisation should keep you awake at night. If you can somehow manage to sleep soundly despite all the horror, drop me a line and reveal your secret. I'd love to know how your nerves aren't frayed, how you're not one step from the ward for the very, very nervous. Advertisement I wish they'd all just exit stage left with their wars and their egos. Or self-combust. Didn't we endure enough suffering during three interminable years of the Simon Harris 'does not expect' poll on Irish unity in this decade So, we certainly don't need the added torment of a But it's what we have. So suck it up as best you can. Throwing your Advertisement You may also want to douse your mobile phone in a flammable liquid and set it ablaze (that thing you look at for hours from one end of the day to the other contains all the poison that has turned many of us into angry, intolerant idiots). Burn it, smash it, dump it in a toilet, whatever, get rid of it. RARE HAPPINESS Nowadays, happiness only exists in the warm embrace of those closest to you, perhaps, or in a few silent moments you steal for yourself, or in the joy of sport, the hum of nature at peace with itself. Hope though is a hard commodity to find. Like ste behind a rocking horse, as a dear old friend used to say in moments of supreme clarity. There's precious little hope to be found away from these shores, except maybe on a desert island. Advertisement Even there, the hand of Trump hovers like a dark shadow, a Hooded Claw. At home too, hope is like a dried-up well, or a rain-drenched MORE DOOM AND GLOOM Hope is a hole in your shoe, especially if you're young. Those poor sods must be tearing their hair out at the gomdaw antics of those handed the power to fix their broken lives. A failed generation under the omnipresent Advertisement And what do we get from the ­banjaxed Duracell Bunny Harris? Not hope, no, just more doom and gloom. It's all he has to offer. What has he and his Government done in the last six months apart from talk and talk and talk. They're 'engaging key stakeholders' now and have set up an 'accelerating infrastructure taskforce' to deliver deliverables. Plenty of blah, blah, blah and damn all do, do, do. Advertisement EMPEROR HAS NO CLOTHES They had another talking shop on Monday, the National 'There are dark clouds on the horizon,' said Harris, his ever-greying face mirroring the sombre mood that has descended. Talk about stating the bleedin' obvious, though. Sherlock and that thing we do twice a day (if we're lucky) come to mind. The lads and lassies in Leinster House know their goose is already cooked and they're barely seven months into their Government term. Success or failure depends entirely on Trump now. Advertisement If tariffs arrive, then the game is up and the Government knows it. The days of having our coffers stuffed with many billions in US multinational cash is about to abruptly end. IRISH EXPORTS SOARED In the first three months of this year, Most of that was pharma giants getting their product to the States before Trump's tariffs kick in. Clever sods. We may have bumper receipts now from US multinationals, but they will fall off a cliff when Trump's tariff axe swings. Advertisement If only successive governments HADN'T put all the eggs in the one multinational basket. But they did. The success of the The Emperor has no clothes, no ­wonder the Duracell Bunny has lost his lustre. PUTIN'S LIES ON WAR CRIMES RUSSIA repeatedly claims it isn't ­targeting civilians in Ukraine. It's a nauseating lie, of course, but Putin and his army of psychopaths revel in deception and double-speak. Since Ukraine wiped out much of ­Russia's fleet of bombers in a daring attack last month, Putin has unleashed record-breaking volleys of missiles and drones at Ukrainian cities, indiscriminately bombing apartment blocks, shopping centres and schools. One such blatant attack by an Iranian drone was captured live on Ukrainian TV as it slammed into the side of a high-rise block of flats. It was a shuddering sight. Anyone inside would have died on impact. Putin doesn't care. His goal is to drag the war out as long as he can and exhaust the civilian ­population with nightly terror raids, like the one pictured here. Trump, who has said he 'likes' Putin, obviously hasn't the balls to stand up to the Russian tyrant, so he keeps on killing with abandon. LISTEN TO MACRON, FELLAS HE may have married his teacher, a woman 22 years his senior, but when French President As US President Donald Trump prepared to join Advertisement 4 Emmanuel Macron denounced the idea of using force in regime change in Tehran Credit: AFP He immediately denounced the idea of using force to achieve regime change in Tehran, reminding Trump and Israel's 'Does anyone think that what was done in For those with short memories, the invasion of It also fuelled the rise of Isis across the Advertisement The toppling of Muammar Gaddafi in Libya also led to a brutal civil war in the north African country, one that divided the country in two and still bubbles along to this day. While conceding the Israeli point that it has a right to defend itself and that Iran, a state sponsor of terrorism around the world – Hezbollah and He said: 'I think the biggest mistake today is to use military means to bring about regime change in Iran because that would mean chaos.' Trump and Netanyahu aren't listening though. Netanyahu bluntly said that killing Ayatollah Khamenei, Iran's Supreme leader, 'is not going to escalate the conflict, it's going to end the conflict'. Trump added: 'We know exactly where he is. We are not going to take him out (kill!), at least for now.' Advertisement Khamenei appeared on TV from his bunker, vowing no surrender. Long weeks lie ahead of us. KIRBY A REAL JOY DUNNO if you're into cycling – the sport, not the dangerous exercise of getting from A to B on Irish roads – but I was delighted to hear the chuckling tones of cycling commentating legend Carlton Kirby on TNT Sports this week as he took viewers on a linguistic waltz during the Tour of Switzerland. Carlton is a fellow Sheffield Wednesday sufferer, so he's a kindred spirit. I could listen to him for days on end. Cadence, wit and repartee are his middle names. Among the gems he revealed about Switzerland is the fact each town, village or hamlet employs a caretaker whose job is to keep the public realm in tip-top shape. Grass verges are never overgrown, graffiti never up for long and fag butts as alien as ketchup on a fondue. FARCICAL CLUB CUP CLUB World Cup anyone? Nah, you're alright. 4 Bayern Munich beat a bunch of amateurs from Auckland 10-0 Credit: Getty Images - Getty Advertisement An online platform called DAZN is the only place you can watch it, if you are bothered to jump through hoops backwards trying to sign up to their free stream. DAZN reportedly paid $1BILLION for the privilege of being the exclusive broadcasters. The competition, which kicked off last weekend, soon descended into farce after Who wants to watch that? Not even the most die-hard sports fans, and I count myself among their number, would get excited by a Club World Cup. Advertisement Reports from The Club World Cup will limp to a conclusion over the next few weeks out of the spotlight. Feck all people will tune in. And Fifa will quietly drop it when they realise it's a dead duck. HIQA REPORTS ALLEGATIONS OF ABUSE HIQA must have read my column last week, because this week they confirmed they have passed reports on alleged abuses at two Emeis Ireland-run nursing homes in Dublin and Portlaoise to Gardai. Nothing less will do. Hiqa also reported some 198 allegations of abuse at one of them, yet they went on to say that it 'didn't necessarily mean a failure at compliance'. Talk about utter hogwash. Hiqa is as useful as a monkey without a tail.