A BRITISH columnist has come under fire after suggesting that Ireland is not a real nation.
In a comment piece for today’s The Times, Melanie Phillips writes that Ireland has a “tenuous claim to nationhood”.
She wrote: "Does that mean that Westminster should tear up the Good Friday Agreement and bid farewell to Northern Ireland?
“No, because it has an obligation to the Unionists; and because the claim to unite Ireland is tenuous since Ireland itself has a tenuous claim to nationhood, having seceded from Britain as the Irish Free State only in 1922.
Ireland, you're not a proper country. Melanie Phillips says so pic.twitter.com/2GgVqmObHJ
— Ian Prior (@ianprior) March 7, 2017
“Scottish nationalism and Irish republicanism are cultural phenomena rooted in romanticism and myth and hatred of the other in the form of the English or the Protestants.”
She continued: “Britain, by contrast, is an authentic unitary nation."
The column has attracted sharp criticism from Irish people online – including Ireland’s Ambassador to Britain Daniel Mulhall – who described Phillips’ claims as “outlandish”.
"As Ambassador I cannot ignore Melanie Phillips’ outlandish claims in The Times that Irish nationhood is 'tenuous',” he said.
“100 years of independence (and) Irish nationhood based on strong sense of identity, distinctive culture & shared values and interests. Nothing 'tenuous'.”
1/2 As Ambassador I cannot ignore @MelanieLatest's outlandish claim @thetimes that Irish nationhood is 'tenuous'. 100 years of independence.
— Daniel Mulhall (@DanMulhall) March 7, 2017
2/2 @MelanieLatest Irish nationhood based on strong sense of identity, distinctive culture & shared values and interests. Nothing 'tenuous'
— Daniel Mulhall (@DanMulhall) March 7, 2017
Fine Gael senator Neale Richmond told Phillips to “read a history book before making such an ill-informed comment.”
One British Twitter user joked: "That awkward moment when other countries find out about Melanie Philips."
Another added: “The Times and Melanie Phillips owe Ireland an apology.”
In the same column Phillips claims that SNP and Sinn Féin want to “reclaim powers from Westminster in order to surrender them to Brussels”.
"Northern Ireland is different again. The Unionists hate this being said but they are not British. They’re the bit that got tacked on to Great Britain to make the UK.
Melanie Phillips has previously written for the Daily Mail and has been criticised for views such as her disagreement with the scientific consensus regarding man-made climate change.
Melanie Philips is aware of what was done to Ireland...? That's breathtaking stuff.
— Richard Palmer (@redrichie) March 7, 2017
When did Melanie Philips start writing for The Onion?
— Prof Sherbert Tights (@mrsanderzisin) March 7, 2017
This is genuinely gas. Ireland is not actually a nation you see, merely upstarts who 'seceded' from the real nation: Britain. ?? pic.twitter.com/M2ZaBPoCjt
— Gavin Sheridan (@gavinsblog) March 7, 2017
Melanie Phillips' belittling piece is exactly why people in Scotland & Ireland want nothing to do with Westminster. https://t.co/EElUuDKmBz
— Andy Gorman (@andyfgorman) March 7, 2017
