The History of The Irish...Worldwide
Che Guevara Mural Removed in County Clare Village: Right or Wrong?
A Che Guevara mural has been painted over in Kilkee, County Clare by a local authority just weeks ahead of a local Latin-American cultural festival in that town to celebrate links with Guevara. The mural was removed after "upsetting" US tourists. What do you think ... right or wrong?
Read more here.
Related Reading:
Jim Fitzpatrick's Own Statements Made Here on The Wild Geese
Tags: Che Guevara, Latin America
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by John W. Hurley on
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Personally I've always been proud that Che was, at least in part, of Irish ancestry. I wonder if the Americans who allegedly objected to the mural were of Irish ancestry or not? I'm not a marxist/communist but I've always found it ironic that revolutionaries with high ideals - be they Jesus or Fidel Castro - have what we would today call a decidedly Leftist belief system. Generally speaking, you don't see the very wealthy of the world going out to risk their lives because they are being oppressed. On the other hand the poor and enslaved ARE always oppressed and anyone who decides to stand up and say "This situation is wrong" is, in essence espousing a Leftist attitude. So to me, it's always been ironic and simply sad that many Americans and many of my fellow Irish-Americans seem to find revolutionaries "evil" because they have some "officially" Leftest label. Sen. Joe McCarthy comes to mind. We think a revolution for America was great and a revolution for Ireland was great but anyone else in the world fighting for precisely the same reasons we did (most of which were economic really) we condemn from a kind of mindless group think because our government has said they are communist. Hell by today's standards Jesus would be considered a Left-Wing communist! And in the Gospels the only people Jesus repeatedly seems to show any anger towards are the hypocritical rich. The stupidity of the whole situation is just very sad, shows a lot of ignorance. I hope someone, somewhere, in the middle of the night, spray paints a picture of George Washington AND Che Guevara Lynch together on the very same wall.
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Permalink Reply by Brian Nolan on
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Well said Mr. Hurley...and your closing sentiment is brilliant, perhaps it will happen and the silly detante between Cuba and USA will melt away eventually...Cuba should be a strong trading partner of USA, not a sparring partner.
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Permalink Reply by mickey mcadden on
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You can say what you please about the Kilkee mural but to be fair to the Cliffs Of M years ago it used be a great place to take a dump on a windy night! Nowadays it has become a national disgrace for the few native born Irish living here, USA, who read such things, don't know about the rest in Oz etc nor even less the so called Celtic Tiger system analyst types in Honk Kong etc.
As for the communists, who cares one way or the other? Che did have Irish ancestors like lots of Argentines, but that alone isn't reason to call him Irish, part Irish maybe. But we never did worry about that anyway, like just taking the tourist's money :0) Turm do laimbh ( sorry for the modern Welsh interpretation of an GaeillliGggeeee )
Fair play to Clare CC! I kinds miss being able to get shlattered in Quilty, sober up and ate a feed on the road and then the early morning dump at the mighty cliffs.Agus pog mo t'asal and the rest of it.
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Permalink Reply by Gerry Regan on
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Mickey, this post really crosses the line of good taste and acceptability for this community. You are entitled to your feelings about the direction and expression of Irish culture worldwide, and we do welcome diverse, even conflicting, opinions, ideally thoughtfully reached and expressed. But gratuitous references to bodily functions, designed to simply shock or to cheapen, is verboten. I think you've worn out your welcome here with this.
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Permalink Reply by John M. Strathern on
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Well done Gerry!
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GaeilgeoirPermalink Reply by Bernie Joyce on -
Finally.
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As one said below, I to am an American; and an extreme anti-communist. But far be it for me to push my beliefs on someone else, let alone the country of my Grand Parents. We shouldn't even be voting on it here. Its their country, county and village.(now I might throw an egg at it :-) )
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Permalink Reply by Ryan O'Rourke on
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Well said, Michael. And save an egg for me! :-)
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Permalink Reply by Kieron Punch on
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How does Clare County Council know that some American tourists were upset? Are we expected to believe that these Americans (how many - two, three, a coach party) detoured to the Council offices in Ennis to make their complaint, or bothered to find the council webpages so that they could send a stern e-mail?
If Clare County Council did recieve such a complaint their subsequent action suggests that they believe those few tourists represent the views of 315 million Americans. Even if that was the case, should an Irish council trample over freedom of expression for fear of offending potential American tourists, and the money they contribute to Irelands GNP?
Given that 3 times as many tourists from Britain visit Ireland each year than tourists from North America http://www.failteireland.ie/FailteIreland/media/WebsiteStructure/Do... and spend more money while in Ireland than American tourists, can we assume that Clare County Council will be taking even more rigourous steps to ensure that British tourists are not offended by memorials to "terrorists" who killed British forces. Will the council, for instance, demolish the monument commemorating the ambush at Rineen http://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/coclare/history/hennessy/images/pi... just a few miles north of Kilkee, in which the local IRA wiped out a lorry load of RIC men?
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Founding MemberPermalink Reply by Nollaig 2016 on -
A great summary of the situation Kieron.
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Well maybe 300 million Americans. You always have the nut jobs and young you know. As well, how do you know that every American didn't head straight to the Council Offices in Ennis. Could have been a line around the block for months. (could have been used as a tourist promotion with pamphlets and all " Come and protest the Che poster in Claire County Ireland!") Please keep in mind that the people that have the money to travel to Ireland are not the young and generally not the nut jobs.( We do seem to have an extraordinary number of rich nuts jobs here in the States however.)
I think the point being that the Brits will always be there just because of proximity and availability of cheap holiday.I don't want to make it sound like the Irish are taking the English for granted mind you, but the Americans also have a "happier" past with the Irish then England. There are more Irish here in the States then there is in Ireland for crying out loud.
In the end a little controversy never hurt much. Don't get butt hurt over the small stuff.
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Founding MemberPermalink Reply by Nollaig 2016 on
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