Shannon Community Partnership Address Backlash Over Multicultural St. Patrick's Day Parade

0:00We're going to look at significant debate in recent days over the promotional poster for this year's St Patrick's Day Parade in Shannon, the design which promotes the team celebrate the cultures of Shannon has sparked strong reactions online. I think it's fair to say some have praised the focus on inclusivity, while others have questioned whether it shifts the emphasis away from Ireland's national day and its traditions parade organized by Shannon community partnership in conjunction with Claire County Council and organizers say the aim is to celebrate the diversity and community spirit. Of the town to discuss all of this, I'm joined on the line by the chair of Shannon Community Partnership, Donald Sullivan. Don, thank you for being with us on a morning focus today. And I'd like to be with you again this week, Alan, and you promoted me, by the way, I'm the Vice Chair. I'm acting as Chair just at the moment, but you have Vice Chair, but I'm delighted with the promotion. Don, there's been a lot of discussion online, as I've mentioned over the parade and the promotional poster. I suppose before we get into can you explain the thinking behind this year's team celebrate the cultures of Shannon, what, what, what, what the aim of that was?

1:04Yeah, so what's actually happened here, Alan is something that is not for days at all to the team of the parade and when wings, waves and wonders is the theme of the parade and has been from the very beginning. What has actually happened in the last few days is that a group of what I call them is online agitators and they're kind of a known small group with a very wide reach unfortunately. What they've done is they've taken one of the many posters and invitations, I suppose that we've sent out to everybody to join in our parade. What they've done is they've taken that and they've presented us to their group of people as the team for our parade and the sole team of our parade. Do you think that misconstruing is intentional or because there are a number of posters promoting the parade that something has been lost in translation? Intentional, absolutely, it's intentional and we know so that the people that are promoting this and the incorrect and it is one of the posters and I have to say just before that Shannon is unique in so many ways as a town.

2:11I mean, it's a very new town and we're very welcoming, we're very open and we're very inclusive and the town has been built and I know we joked as we finished the interview the other day saying Jerry who was on is from Limerick, I've had Limerick back from us. The town is less than 70 years old and it has been built by people who have come from every corner of Ireland and from all across the world. So it is very unique actually as a town as one of Ireland's newest towns. So for us to be inclusive is not unusual. It's what we do. So the parade, no different probably than many parades in towns and cities across Ireland will have a multicultural and multinational element in it. Yeah, sorry to get across because you've touched on the, I suppose, unique element of Shannon being having a very international makeup and I guess, you know, that's enhanced because Shannon Airports is there as well, which helps in that regard.

3:13It makes Shannon a very international town and makes more likely I guess that people from all around the world will will will make the town their home. And that's the crazy thing there what you say they're Alan is they've made Shannon their home. So, you know, we're lucky to have so many people from so many places in the same Ireland and across. And as well as what's happened here and you know, it's actually some elements of us have that very personal and with the guarantee at the moment. So, you know, what's happening here is very definitely organized and it is meant deliberately to take from the fact that we're going to have the most wonderful parade, a very large parade, I might say. And we know we've a volunteer group that's been working on this for the last six months and more led by Joanne and you know, the incredible work that this volunteer group are doing and is the focus of what we're looking towards on Tuesday next. I mean, the biggest parade will have with more than 50 registered community groups at this stage and really the parade as I say, wings, waves and wonders celebrates Shannon celebrates who we are, which includes everybody.

4:17Don, some of the criticism is centered around this particular poster and I know I'm sure party response will be again to highlight the fact that this is just the one they're focusing on is one of many posters that are promoting the Shannon parade but they are arguing the poster appears to shift the focus away from our heritage on what is Ireland's national day that the Irish tricolor was marginalized in the design. Was that ever, how do you respond to those concerns? Was that ever the intention of that particular poster, one of, you know, which you've touched on a number of posters, how it promoting the parade? Yeah, you know, once again, so it's because this group calendar, you know, they're, they're focused and you know, these people go looking for this kind of stuff, but their focus is clearly on attracting people into stuff that they can talk about. The invitation to parade or the actual posters of was an invitation to many cultures of Shannon and in varns to join us on the parade. It's not the primary poster use, it's one of the posters and then say if they were to go and you know, you know, you look at what we're actually offering in terms of advertising for the parade, they'd find all the posters, including the main team of the parade, which they've chosen not to do.

5:27But I say for us enough air time, as far as I'm concerned, and we're really concerned only now with putting on the best parade that we can, and including everybody. You know, so it's yeah, I mean, that's it, the inclusion. Yeah, they're looking to not be inclusive and including everybody done like, do you believe it's possible to celebrate to tick both boxes, celebrate Irish identity while at the same time, also recognizing the diversity within a town like Shannon. Absolutely, absolutely, and you know, first and foremost, it is our national day, and that's what we're celebrating, but I think it's got to be inclusive. And in the town, my channel, which is unique in how it has developed over the last 17 years. And you can't ignore the fact that there are so many people from so many places as I say all through Ireland, as well as outside of Ireland, and it is possible to do both. And we will be doing both. And as I say, for us, it's all about the parade now and this distraction, which is actually, you know, turn very personal and as I say, is with the guarantee is literally a distraction.

6:31We're now concentrating on getting the best parade that we and biggest parade we've had for a very long time. Something that occurred to me, and I'm sure I'm not the only one that occurred to Don when I first heard about this story, and you could apply us to other similar scenarios as well, is that those who are. How should we bother not fond of multiculturalism in a country? They fear that their own identity is going to be erased or whatever word you want to use. That one of the criticisms they would have with people arriving from other cultures and other countries is that they feel they don't integrate and that they will, you know, stick to their own culture and try and make that the predominant culture. But yes, then on the flip side of that, when people arrive from other countries and do try to integrate and take on some of the prevailing culture like if you come from another country and move to Shannon and take part in the same Patrick's Day parade and be proud of your own culture. Well, it's also delving and enjoying Irish culture. They're not fond of that either.

7:34Yeah, and that's the thing, Alan. I think, you know, these people will do what they do and, you know, they mostly come actually as what it must be said from outside of this area. You know, the people who are at the helm of this where they're known and they don't come from Shannon are clear and they just try to drive this agenda that they've got. You know, we, as you know, we're going to say just we are a town of many counties, many countries and so it's only natural that the parade would reflect that. So, you know, while it is, as I say, it's still going to be on our national day, but it is celebrating who we are as Shannon. And that's, you know, as say those people will have their agenda and, you know, let them have it. And as far as I'm concerned, we'll have seen fantastic parade. Largest we've had in quite a long time. And it'll, you know, culminates in Shannon Town Centre with lots of fun, lots of music and people just having a good day. And the partnership did release, I would say, you know, a strong, defined statement yesterday. And I'm sure one that heartened those who live in Shannon, but have come from elsewhere, be it a long time ago or more recently.

8:39You've said you won't allow online bullies to distract from the event. Do you think it's important not just for yourselves in terms of receiving what you feel is on for criticism, but to show that you care about, as I say, people who have arrived from elsewhere to make Shannon and Ireland their home, that you have their backs. And that you don't back down when faced with this kind of criticism and controversy. Absolutely, absolutely. I mean, you know, as a parent of this last few days, you know, we've considered, you know, very carefully how we might respond to it and how we might do. And, you know, and so that response is a parent of what we say is, you know, important. You know, we're not going to be distracted. We will move ahead with the parade. And those people, as I say, will do what they do. And they'll do it to somebody else tomorrow. And, you know, I think unless we stand up to this. And most especially in the town, my channel, which is so diverse by its nature. You know, we've got to be able to say, no, we're not going to put up with this. You know, we intend to do what we set out to do proudly. And we will do that on Tuesday next.

9:46Beyond social media, what kind of feedback have you been receiving from people living in Shannon, regardless of where their origins are from or even further afield and clear the country to this particular story and the plans for the parade. Yeah, I suppose it has been so negative at a one level, but so positive and another level because I think when something like this comes up and we've seen it in the last few days. People rally around people who are local and who understand what we're doing here has been absolutely fantastic. You know, we really are seeing galvanizing of people going, you know, ignore all that nonsense. And it is nonsense. And let's go for what we've got to do here. And as I say, you know, we have that parade. And so yeah, we feel that the people locally are very supportive of what we're doing. And it really is an outside distraction. And we're considering it by that. Okay, we do appreciate you joining us to address this controversy distraction, whatever term you want to use, but Donald Sullivan, vice chair, acting chair of Shannon Community Partnership.

10:50Thank you so much for being with us on morning focus. Thank you very much. Thank you, Don.