OPINION | By Jimmy O’Toole
This St. Patrick’s Day, Maryland Should Stand With a United Ireland
Every St. Patrick’s Day, we celebrate the familiar symbols — green banners, parades, music, and the warmth of a heritage that has shaped Maryland for generations. But the holiday is also a moment to remember the deeper legacy of Saint Patrick himself: a figure remembered for driving out the “snakes,” the forces that preyed upon the vulnerable.
In the twenty‑first century, the “snakes” we face are not reptiles but systems of greed, fraud, abuse, and exploitation — the forces that undermine communities and widen the gap between those with power and those without it. If we are to honor the spirit of Saint Patrick, we should be willing to confront these forces wherever they appear, including on the global stage.
That is why I believe the time has come for Maryland to join the growing international chorus supporting the reunification of Ireland.
For the first time since Brexit fractured the political and economic landscape of the British Isles, the idea of a united Ireland is not a romantic aspiration but a practical, democratic, and increasingly urgent conversation. Belfast’s forced detachment from the European Union has placed Northern Ireland at a structural disadvantage — economically, socially, and generationally. Meanwhile, the Republic of Ireland continues to chart a course grounded in human rights, democratic norms, and progressive leadership.
The contrast is stark. As the United Kingdom drifts toward instability, austerity, and rising intolerance, Ireland has emerged as a modern European nation aligned with the values many Marylanders hold dear.
History matters here. The Great Famine was not an unavoidable act of nature but a state‑enabled catastrophe — a policy failure that echoes other historical examples of forced starvation. Ireland’s population today is only now approaching what it was in the 1840s. That loss reverberates across the diaspora, including the thousands of Maryland families whose ancestors fled hunger, poverty, and colonial neglect.
But supporting reunification is not about reopening old wounds or endorsing past violence. It is about recognizing present realities. Young people in Northern Ireland — Catholic and Protestant alike — increasingly see reunification as a path to economic stability, EU membership, and a future not defined by sectarian lines. Some unionists may choose to relocate to other parts of the UK, driven by cultural identity or differences in social services, but that too is part of democratic self‑determination.
Maryland has long been home to a proud Irish community. We honor that heritage not only with parades but with principles. A symbolic resolution from the Maryland General Assembly supporting Irish reunification would place our state on the side of democracy, human rights, and the right of people to choose their own future.
Saint Patrick’s Day is a celebration, but it is also a reminder. The work of driving out the “snakes” — the forces that harm the vulnerable and divide communities — is never finished. A united Ireland is not just an Irish issue. It is a human issue, a democratic issue, and a chance for Maryland to stand with a people seeking to reclaim their future.
This is the moment to say so.