Ireland's Kevin Sharkey
Kevin Sharkey is an unlikely Irish Nationalist. Born
of an Irish nurse and a Nigerian father, studying at the time, at the Royal
College of Surgeons in Ireland. (https://www.irishcentral.com/news/irishvoice/irish-immigration-kevin-sharkey)
Kevin Sharkey was born in Dublin in St. Patrick’s
Mother and Baby Home of Navan Road in 1961, but was brought up in Killybegs,
County Donegal. His birth father was a Nigerian student at the Royal College of
Surgeons in Ireland, and his birth mother was of Irish descent.
With no state supports available for single parents
at the time, adoption was the societal norm.
Kevin was adopted by the Sharkey family at a very young age. As a child he took
part in Irish dancing, which won him 37 medals before
the age of 12.
In late 2005, Kevin Sharkey announced his intention
to take the Irish State to the European Court of Human Rights, in order to
force the recognition of same-sex partnerships, specifically civil
partnerships. Sharkey cited personal reasons for this, decrying the fact that
if he were to marry his long-term male partner Ade Antigha in Spain (where the
two were living at the time), the marriage would not be recognized by Irish
law. Ireland since legalized Civil Partnerships in 2011 and Same-Sex
Marriage in 2015.
His life has not been without its struggles, both
personal and financial. In the summer of 2016, struggling again with his
finances, Sharkey briefly became homeless while living in Dublin.
Today he is Senior Vice President and Executive
Editorial Director, Decorating, and Executive Creative Director, Merchandising
for Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Inc. (MSLO).
Sharkey’s key issue in the contest is immigration
into Ireland, but not in the way many might expect. Despite being a child of an
immigrant and black father Sharkey is calling for less immigration, not more,
stating that Ireland must put Irish people first.
In that regard, he echoes Donald Trump and his “Put America
First” platform, but Sharkey is also providing the first major challenge on the
issue of who gets to immigrate to Ireland.
Currently some 115,000 immigrants are entering Ireland
annually, many from Third World countries wracked with war and turmoil. They
arrive with language, education and placement problems that has overwhelmed
Ireland at times.
The total foreign-born population of Ireland is now
12 percent, approximately the same as America’s numbers. For a country far
better known for emigration, the immigrant influx has proven a difficult
issue. Worse still, these new arivals come at a time when Ireland is still
repaying huge loans to Europe from the financial bailout.
A general lack of housing, and access to medical
care are just two huge issues the country is grappling with.
So, with his anti-immigrant tone, Sharkey is
articulating what many Irish seem to be thinking but fear to voicing, out of
concerns over being called “racist.”
Many of Kevin Sharkey’s quotes sound close to those
of Trump’s; "If we don't protect our future, if we don't protect what we have,
what has made us Irish, we won't be Irish in 200 years.”
"I'm not against immigration. Look at
Australia. They have a beautiful system there. If you are contributing, if you
have a trade that we need and you can support yourself you are welcome.”
He’s added, “Ireland is being repopulated and it doesn't
seem to matter to the powers that be who is coming.”
He calls for 'open dialogue' on immigration. (FULL
INTERVIEW https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N7r8WhmzlSs)
As for Sharkey, he notes, that there’s a belief among
many in Ireland that the Irish themselves are being left behind. Sharkey stated
that in running for president, “I'd hope to bring an awareness to the fact
that in Ireland we seem to have shifted away a little bit from looking after
the Irish first.”
Ireland, he says, has "fallen into this
politically correct speech and people are censoring themselves when they really
should be able to have an honest dialogue."
Kevin Sharkey is right.
It’d be good...from a Nationalist viewpoint to see
Kevin Sharkey shock Michael Higgins (the favorite) in Ireland’s Presidential
election later this year.
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