Life expectancy in Ireland, having risen steadily over the decades now stands at 82 years. I am delighted with this because I know that on average I should have a few more weeks to live before going into ‘injury time.’ Or I could move to Japan where life expectancy is 84.
But no; even with the prospect of a couple of extra years added to my life, I would never want to live anywhere else other than where I am now. You see; and no matter what angle you look at it from, Ireland is the best place in the world to live.
Taking climate change for a start; yes, it is making changes for which we will have to adapt, but Holy God, the images on our TV screens every night showing the devastating consequences of man not listening to the scientists brings home how lucky we are.
Listen up: We are the third wealthiest country in the world, as measured by GDP per capita. And yes … before somebody else says it; we know that life can be a struggle for young couples with children and that there is a housing crisis. But when was it easy?
Back in the day when we had nothing,; parents got on with rearing their own children and making do as best they could. The very idea of the State paying for the kids care and undertaking the parent’s responsibility in all departments of child-rearing might be no more than a tale in a storybook.
When you turn on the radio any day, there is nothing but moaning and whining about all that is wrong with the country. It has become a sort of national pastime; every caller or spokesperson trying to outdo the previous speaker with tales of depredation and woe.
An alien from outer space landing on our shores and tuning his antenna to ‘Liveline’ would immediately jump back in his spaceship and report to base that he had just escaped the most persecuted nation on Earth. Why aren’t more of our own standing up, phoning in and declaring the fact that anybody living in Ireland is among the world’s most privileged human beings?
Today, not only is there full employment in Ireland (even those able bodies who never worked are paid) but there is an immense range of opportunities for everyone to specialise in their individual skills. Any young person in Ireland can be just about whatever they want to be. While we are on this one; the ‘younger generation’ ship a fair bit of unfair criticism while it has been my experience working with youngsters and as a grandfather, that the young generation is the best yet and will ultimately save mankind.
Nobody needs to go hungry in Ireland. Remember that half the population of the world has never experienced the feeling of a full belly.
Let me tell those airtime warriors how it once was in this country within the memory of those of us at the upper end of the life expectancy.
When I attended school in the 1950s I knew children who came to school hungry. Each child brought a sod of turf to heat the school in winter and the running water was when a kid ran to Dunne’s pump a hundred yards away with an enamel bucket.
There was no hope of secondary education except for a minority of families who could pay for it. Only about 15% received secondary education or 25% if you include vocational schooling. Four out of every seven children going to school that time were destined for immigration and it seemed as if the brainier they were, the further away they got.
For those who stayed home, a privileged minority got into the Civil Service, the Guards, Aer Lingus, the Bank, ESB, the County Council or ‘The Mental’. That was it …. The rest who didn’t leave looked to be an apprentice carpenter or an apprentice to the bar trade, hardware or in a grocery shop or the majority in rural parts became farm labourers.
This is not ancient history – but within living memory.
Things improved in the 1960s thanks to the industrialisation policy of Sean Lemass – and even more dramatically on joining the EEC in the early 1970s. Free education was introduced in 1966 and by 1971 the percentage of children going to secondary had risen to 73%.
Compare our natural advantages and the quality of life in Ireland today as against our troubled history. Dwell for a moment on how people are really suffering all over the world. Why as a people are we so critical of ourselves and our leaders, when quite literally, we never had it so good?
Humour abounds in our daily interaction with friends, neighbours and strangers. Laughter, generosity and decency connect us to each other. No school shootings, earthquakes, famines, landslides, droughts or military coups.
I love Spain and Canada was good to me too, but for as long as I have a choice my permanent address will continue to be Mullingar!
Don’t Forget
Happiness is the result of being too busy to be miserable.
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