I’m not sure Irish people are particularly patriotic, at least, not in the ways of other countries. We don’t recite a pledge to the flag at school. We learn enough of our national anthem to muddle through when required, it doesn’t help that the lyrics are in Irish and many students dislike the language. It is very rare to see our flag on a private residence, although it is on government buildings. We sing the anthem at sporting events and at the end of discos to give people a hint to go home.
 
It’s not that we’re not proud of where we are from. We like to think that for a small place we punch above our weight. We don’t seem to have a need to conquer or invade other places and are pleased to be neutral. We are genuinely happy to meet people from other places...

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