As part of what we are calling “The Decade of Centenaries” every primary school in the country is being given a national flag in a formal ceremony. Representatives from the Defence Forces turn up at the school; the proclamation of independence is read; and the children learn about the protocol for looking after the national flag (handy, on all sorts of occasions, I am sure). I think they then use this knowledge to hoist the flag up over every school for Easter 2016.
The boys had their flag visit today. Three of the children from the school got to read out part of the proclamation of independence during the ceremony and Daniel was one of the chosen few. He was very proud. The Irish was quite hard too. He had the bit about “cherishing all of the children of the nation equally and oblivious of the differences carefully fostered by an alien government, which have divided a minority from the majority in the past”. No prizes for guessing to whom the alien government refers. It’s all peace and reconciliation now, of course.
As part of the celebrations, they got no homework tonight. I am sure that the signatories of the proclamation would be delighted.
Invoking the ‘alien government’ while calling for better relations between minority (just the one!) and majority does seem contradictory. Still: Mathu a Dhonaill.
Glad you’re feeing better. I was awake last night with a fever – shivers, hot and cold – thought I was getting flu but it turned out to be side effects from antibiotics I’m on. This side effect is listed as ‘Rare – up to 1 in 10,000 people may be affected’. Feeling special.
I think you know who the minority are (should it be is?) too.
Poor you, but special is something, right?