Kevin Myers
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Kevin Myers (born Leicester, 30 March 1947) is an Irish journalist and commentator. He writes for the Irish Independent, and is a former contributor to The Irish Times newspaper, where he wrote the An Irishman's Diary column several times weekly. Until 2005, he also wrote for the Sunday Telegraph in the UK. His articles often offer criticism of left-wing opinion and the "liberal consensus", sometimes using hyperbolic sarcasm or parody.
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[edit] Biography
Myers was born and raised in Leicester, England, where his father had emigrated to work as a general practitioner. He attended Ratcliffe College and graduated from University College Dublin with a first in History. While at UCD he was an active supporter of the Trotskyist Students for Democratic Action (SDA). He began work as a journalist for Radio Telefís Éireann, reporting from Northern Ireland during the height of the Troubles from 1971 to 1978. In the 1980s he reported on the Lebanese Civil War, and in the 1990s on the Bosnian War. Otherwise he has been based in Dublin. He is married to Rachel Nolan and lives in Ballymore Eustace, County Kildare.
[edit] Opinions
Myers' Irish Times articles were often in vivid contrast to its left-leaning editorial position, which led to some conflict with his editors. For example, in early January 2005, the Irish Times refused to publish a column in which he accused the Provisional IRA of responsibility for the Northern Bank robbery. The column was later published by the Daily Telegraph [1].
Myers usually advocates support for the United States, though he has often changed his position on the foreign policies of the Bush administration. He ultimately endorsed the 2003 invasion of Iraq, though his position on this issue varied prior to the start of the war. He has praised George W. Bush, but has also described him as 'mad'. He is frequently strongly critical of anti-war activists.
Myers is sceptical of the viability of multiculturalism and favours limits on immigration to prevent the growth of racial tension in Ireland. He has attacked the Catholic Church in many pieces and favours the legalisation of prostitution. Recent articles have been critical of Islamic fundamentalism and extremism.
In his journalism Myers has opposed the classification of Travellers as an ethnic minority, and has opposed feminist philosophy and the role of trade unions in setting economic policy. He has written against the compensation culture and has opposed state policies towards the Irish language.
Other columns have a less political nature, discussing road safety, pet peeves, rugby, favourite places in Ireland, etc.
The fortnightly satirical publication, The Phoenix, regularly lampoons what it sees as his apparent obsession with himself. It has suggested that his "head is up his own cavities" and have nicknamed him "Kevin Myarse" (or occasionally "Colonel Myarse").
[edit] Irishness and Nationalism
Myers promotes awareness of Irish soldiers who served in the British Armed Forces, particularly in World War I, arguing that they believed they were doing their patriotic duty as Irishmen. He has faulted the official commemoration of the 1916 Easter Rising, and has raised concerns about uncritically celebrating Irish Republican violence of former times. He has been sceptical of the Northern Ireland peace process, and regards Sinn Féin as irredeemably intertwined with the Provisional IRA.
[edit] The "bastards" controversy
Myers has been an advocate of unrestricted freedom of speech and an opponent of censorship and political correctness. He attracted considerable criticism for An Irishman's Diary of February 8, 2005, in which he referred to children of unmarried mothers as "bastards":
- How many girls - and we’re largely talking about teenagers here - consciously embark upon a career of mothering bastards because it seems a good way of getting money and accommodation from the State? Ah. You didn’t like the term bastard? No, I didn’t think you would.
Myers issued an "unconditional apology" two days later, "entirely at [his] own initiative". Irish Times editor Geraldine Kennedy also apologised for having agreed to publish the article. Myers has claimed to have received death threats over his controversial remarks.
[edit] Scotland
Myers caused controversy on 8 February 2006 in his Irishman's Diary when he referred to Scottish people as obese and dependent on the welfare state.
- There lies the ruin of Scotland - subsidies. Guaranteed transfers of capital from England have created a political culture of sloth which is now endemic and even personalised. Scottish people are the most obese in Europe, in which regard they resemble the wretched Scottish statelet. Only a minority of Scottish people work for a living - and most of those who have jobs are employed by the state: 577,300. In other words, they are employed by the English to manage themselves. The rest of the Scots are on the dole or pensions, living in state-owned housing estates, sending their children to state-run schools, where the most likely form of personal enterprise they will ever encounter is their local heroin-dealer.
On the 17 January 2007 he wrote a similar article about Scotland, drawing in the topical issue of the country's possible secession from the United Kingdom or gaining of some other form of independence.
[edit] Other work
He was presenter of the Challenging Times television quiz show on RTÉ during the 1990s. In 2000, he published a collection of his An Irishman's Diary columns (ISBN 1-85182-575-4). In 2003, he published a novel Banks of Green Willow (ISBN 0-684-02013-0) which received mixed reviews. John Banville called it "as fresh as tomorrow's headlines". In 2006, he published Watching the Door (ISBN 1-84351-085-5), about his time as a journalist in Northern Ireland during the 1970s.
