The hate that dare not speak its name.

I have become increasingly convinced that Anti-Irish-Racism in Scotland is the hate that dare not speak its name.

Even when a victim of AIR mentions their Irish nationality as a reason for verbal abuse it doesn’t make it into the headline of a quality newspaper.

This piece in the Scotsman is a good example.

http://sport.scotsman.com/sport/39I39ll-get-abuse-because-I39m.6744599.jp

Asked if he believed the Hearts supporters would subject him in particular to more abuse, Towell continued: “Yeah, especially as I’m an Irish boy, and a Catholic as well…”

Yet the headline is:

‘I’ll get abuse because I’m a Catholic,’ says Towell

Not a mention in the headline of his Irish nationality which the lad himself had alluded to.

In modern Scotland Irishness has been sectarianized to hidden within “Catholic”.

Racism directed at Irish people is then described as “sectarianism”.

In this way the problem is deliberately hidden, it can then be conveniently avoided and therefore it will not be tackled any time soon.

I had hoped that the Scotsman newspaper would be able to give an editorial lead on these matters within Scotland.

Someone needs to have a word with that sub-editor …