This is a short excerpt. The full essay was published by Law & Liberty, January 2026
“Romantic Ireland’s dead and gone, it’s with O’Leary in the grave,” lamented Yeats in 1913. The political elite today continues this decline, rejecting Ireland’s rich heritage and blocking those who might revive it. The October 2025 Irish presidential election exemplified this, as the elite prevented Maria Steen, an articulate and popular candidate, from even appearing on the ballot.
Ireland has steadily lost its cultural identity, embracing secularism and pagan festivals while discouraging patriotic symbols. Young, educated professionals flee the country, leaving behind a civic and cultural vacuum. The presidency, while largely symbolic, has been held by radicals who further entrench this decline. Yet there are signs of resistance: the Spoil the Vote campaign and growing civic awareness suggest the Irish people are waking up to the failures of their political elite.
Ireland is meant for more. A revival of intellectual and cultural life, rooted in faith, reason, and the best of its heritage, remains possible—but it will require overcoming entrenched political forces and reclaiming a meaningful civic identity.
Read the full essay at Law & Liberty.