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[The True Origins of Irish Society Copyright © 2003 by Desmond Keenan
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 The True Origins of Irish Society

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 Contents

    Traditionally Irish nationalism and Irish republicanism was based on an ideology or mythology just like Bolshevism and National Socialism. As none of these ideologies are now regarded tenable it is essential to write history without them.

    Nationalist and republican ideologies were based on the old-fashioned theories which had become myths that there were several 'races' in Europe which could be distinguished by their different languages. Thus English-speakers were said to be of the Anglo-Saxon race, speakers of German and related languages were said to be of the German race, speakers of Slavic languages were said to have been of the Slavic race, and so on. These races were constantly warring with each other and taking each other's land. A variation of the Darwinian theory of the survival of the fittest meant that a given race always had to struggle hard to survive. This theory formed the basis of Hitler's National Socialism which taught that to survive the German people had to fight and conquer the Jews and their allies.In Ireland, the struggle was seen as being against the Anglo-Saxons who had invaded their land and conquered them.

    These theories were nonsense and it is now recognised that all these supposed races spoke a common language at one time. It is also recognised that though a Celtic language was spoken in Ireland in the recent past, there is little evidence that Continental Celtic-speakers ever came to Ireland.

    It is therefore necessary to study afresh the origins of the people and culture of Ireland

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Copyright Desmond J. Keenan, B.S.Sc.; Ph.D. ;.London, U.K.