Last week in Washington, the Taoiseach presented a bowl of shamrock and gave a speech that would do justice to a scriptwriter on a Walt Disney film. He went to the USA to lick ASS – which stands for American state security, a Chathaoirligh – and he told that country about the wonderful spirit of Irishness. If Irishness now means that we are to allow Shannon to be used in a war in which innocent Iraqi men, women and children will be murdered, I would be ashamed to call myself Irish and ashamed of an Irish Administration which purports to represent and govern a nation, the people of which, in very large numbers, are opposed to this war.