Journalists in London discuss the impact on the Irish community in England as a result of the IRA bombing campaign.
With the IRA carrying out bombings in Britain and following a recent explosion in Hamstead, Aidan Hennigan of The Irish Press, Renagh Holohan from The Irish Times and Jim Nicoll of The Irish Independent, discuss the current situation for the Irish living in Britain.
Aidan Hennigan, The Irish Press, has not witnessed any aggressive impact on the Irish community to date but believes if the campaign of bombings worsens, there will be an impact.
Renagh Holohan has had no personal experience of negative responses from English people towards the Irish. However, she says that where Irish people are working alongside English people, there are bound to be negative remarks made.
Jim Nicoll agrees with his journalist colleagues and says he is aware of a friend of his who has been treated differently by the English since the recent Hamstead bombings.
She was Irish and they were watching her.
Aidan Hennigan says that he is most definitely watching his Irishness and is more cautious in certain settings.
Now, I'm more aware in fact when this is happening that I am Irish.
Renagh Holohan says that the IRA will be blamed for all sorts of acts of terrorism that happen in Britain even if they are not responsible. She would not broadcast the fact that she is Irish to avoid arguments with people who may know very little about the whole situation.
Until they have proof that it's somebody else, the IRA is going to get blamed.
They have all received bomb scares to their respective buildings but no direct threats. Renagh Holohan says that they received a more sinister call saying that if the IRA bombing campaign did not stop within seven days, they would launch Foot and Mouth Disease in Ireland.
Aidan Hennigan recalls an incident after the burning of the British Embassy in Dublin in 1972, he received a wallop on the face from a customer in a bar near Westminster.
Some British politicians have suggested that Irish people should have work permits and more extreme views suggest that they should be executed if they have bombs. Renagh Holohan believes that stricter passport controls would not really work as the evidence suggests that the people carrying out the atrocities live in Northern Ireland.
They are British people, not Irish and all have British passports or at least are entitled to them.
Jim Nicoll sees these extreme views by certain members of parliament as quite hysterical.
Aidan Hennigan refutes claims that there is a growing anti-Irish feeling in Britain. However, the situation will change, he believes, if the campaign of violence continues and people are killed.
This episode of 'Tangents' was broadcast on 26 September 1973. The reporter is Cathal O'Shannon.
